Day 29 19th March

So now we wait.

With 13mm overnight, any thought of harvesting the remaining SA125 Cabernet for the next few days is one thought too many.

So far the rain is delaying rather than dangerous, however there are showers forecast across the next week so it may become necessary for a smash and grab picking of the remaining fruit as an opportunity presents itself.

As we will be pressing the Merlot Noir off skins tomorrow we will have enough fermentation tank space available for this two stage Cabernet ferment. It is not ideal in terms of winery efficiency in that there will be two press days needed instead of one but, as any number of younger generational persons have explained to me..”it is what it is!”

What the wet weather and delay may mean for the wine is not of great concern currently but I will have to keep a close eye on pH and acidity levels when the crop arrives in the winery.

The weather however has pushed our hands a little though in that we won’t have the usual time to give yesterday’s harvest an extended cold soak prior to fermentation.

This is where a hurry up with the introduction of a cultivated yeast is needed to get things moving quickly.

We use Vitiferm Bio Rubino Extra from Kauri which is a low ester and low VA (volatile acidity) forming yeast in this circumstance.

And as these things seem to be important these days, it is 100% vegetarian and vegan according to the spec sheet.

I’m not entirely sure what that means although at almost twice the price of conventional dried yeasts, it better mean something.

The preparation process is pretty straightforward.

Prepare 5 litres of 50% wasser and juice at 30 C, vigorously stir the wine/water mix and quickly but carefully add the yeast to the mix. This brew is left to its own devices for 20 minutes when after a quick stir, we usually cut it again with more juice with the idea that the activated yeast is no more than a few degrees shy of the temperature of the must we want to introduce it to.

We then introduce it to the must and give the whole show a gentle pumping over which helps disperse the yeast.

And then we wait.

Another winery job out of the rain today is preparing the barrels for this years Pinot Noir.

We use steam as a steriliser and it also helps with any leakers. Twenty minutes at 100C usually sorts them out and after cooling and drying overnight, we will fill them first thing tomorrow.

They are a horrendously expensive but essential part of traditional wine making which we import whole from Louis Latour in Beaune France and annoyingly, they arrive empty.

The Cabernet we picked yesterday is very dense in colour already and has leapt into life..and we are getting very close to the end of vintage 26 here at Bloodwood.

And still we wait.

Cheers,

Stephen and Rhonda