Things are quiet, and I like it that way. I have bottled the Rosé and I have been drinking regularly – in fact, I am drinking it as I write this, and it is delicious. The wines from the 2007 vintage have all finished their secondary fermentation, the barrels have had their SO2 hit to keep them clean and I hope not to do anything but top the barrels until bottling. I have discovered Syrah does not need the aerative rackings that I once thought was necessary, and unless there is something really funky going on in the barrel it will rest there quietly developing. The Roussanne has taken a different direction this year and has developed a nutty component that is very attractive and reminds me of Meursault, only better. Chardonnay, it is part of the past! The Viognier is vibrant and racey and it has more minerality this year.

In the vineyards there is significant growth on everything but the Tres Ninos Cabernet, but Cabernet is always later than the other varieties. We can already see the flowers forming that will produce the fruit for harvest. Surprisingly, it looks like another good harvest as long as we get through the flowering period with out rain, heat or extreme wind.