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Harvest

  • Vintage Report 2008
    As I write this in late February, the wines from 2008 have been cleaned up and are showing very well. After a cool spring which delayed bloom, the weather turned generally warm and dry until late October. Harvest dates were later than usual due to the late bloom, but full maturity was obtained on all varieties save for Petit Verdot. Brix levels were mid-20s on some varietals. Despite extensive shoot and crop thinning, yields were high, and in some cases higher than desired. Overall, in this winegrower's opinion, 2008 might be the best vintage yet for Kinkead Ridge. Stars for 2008 include the White Revelation (to be released Memorial Day weekend 2009) and the Cabernet Sauvignon (to be released Labor Day 2010). See http://www.KinkeadRidge.com/htm/wines.htm for a description of the past vintages.
  • Vintage Report 2007
    An early bud break meant an early harvest; we were finished by mid-October. Sadly, it also meant several days of 80 degree weather, shoots four inches long, and then an Easter freeze which plunged the vineyard to 28 degrees. All the white wine was affected, to a tragic degree. There will be very little Viognier/Roussanne, little Riesling, and it may not even be worth bottling the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. Syrah was also heavily affected. The good news is the long dry ripening season was outstanding for Cabernet; small berries, high sugars. These wines will be reminiscent of Calistoga, higher in alcohol than our general practice.
  • Vintage Report 2006
    As this is written (January 2007), I've had the opportunity to both reflect on the vintage past and taste the wines as they have begun to develop. Going into harvest season, the vineyard was in excellent condition. Crop load and canopy management was on target. Weather deteriorated in mid-September and some of the harvest conditions were as difficult as I've ever experienced. October in particular was troublesome as cold temperatures and excessive rainfall limited maturities. Despite the above, white wines are turning out surprisingly well. Red wines, however, are questionable and many may end up as second label when released in 2008. So far we have had a mild winter and I look forward to a spring with little winter damage and overall good growing conditions in 2007.
  • Vintage Report 2005
    2005 in the vineyard was a vintage of extremes. Unlike 2004 where moisture, heat and humidity were well distributed, it seemed like the heat and humidity would never end. Rainfall came either not at all or in a deluge. Fortunately, harvest turned out mostly dry with only the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot caught by rain at the end of October. In the winery, most of the fruit came in low in acid and high in sugar. Adjustments were made and fermentations, though quirky, finished well. Overall, the wines show good promise, and for some, 2005 may prove to be the best vintage yet.

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  • View from the farmhome

« Auxiliary Tasting Rooms: Will Ohio Join Its Enlightened Neighboring States | Main | 2009 bottling is almost over! »

Bottling the 2008 whites, and eye-popping COGS

On May 7 and 8 of 2009 we bottled 360+ cases of Viognier/Roussanne. A big change from last year, when the Easter frost took out 90% of the white grapes from 2007, resulting in only 48 cases of this blend! Gretchen, Amy, Megan, Ron Hitt and cellarmaster Judy helped Ron and Nancy; it was a smooth bottling, no major catastrophes! This wine is an stunning 14.8% alcohol by volume. We have also completed the white Revelation (predominantly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon), and the River Village Cellars Traminette that was sourced from Rock Springs Vineyard, Kentucky. Still to go, Riesling and the 2007 reds. The winery re-opens on Memorial Day weekend, May 23 and May 25 to release the whit

Here's a 2009 Kinkead Ridge mini-movie of this bottling:


I have been writing BIG checks. The Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) gets higher and higher; thankfully gas prices are down from last year, it was costing us a fortune to deliver wine. One check for almost $13,000 went out today to our glass company, $4,000 plus for corks, $4,200 for capsules and $2,400 for labels.

We continue to garner kudos... Krsiete Andrew Hall and friends (see his blog) blind tasted Ohio wines vs. the world. Kinkead Ridge Revelation bested Clos de la Siete. "The Clos de la Siete was generally found to be too hot and monolithic while the svelte profile and acidic balance of the 'Revelation' gave it the edge. I like the Michel Rolland Clos de la Siete more than I expected (and far more than other vintages), but the more pure Meritage-like character of the 'Revelation' gave it an integrative personality." 

And River Village Cellars Syrah bested Cycle Buff Beauties. Rivercyclebetter "I will admit that in good part I choose the 'Cycle Buff Beauties' (a Syrah/Malbec blend) because of the label. It is a disjointed and flakey wine which I enjoy more than I had expected. The River Village Syrah is a nice wine, not deep, but having a nice Syrah character and spice. It was also a 6-1 winner. From the comments, the peppery nature of the Syrah was the kicker and it was clear it would be better with food than the Aussie."

Your friendly wine blogger,
Nancy Bentley, Owner/Managing Partner, Kinkead Ridge
Nancy

May 09, 2009 |

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