2004 Harvest Notes.

The 2004 grape harvest is complete! Although our harvest is small, it is action packed with sampling grapes, picking, crushing, pressing, and managing our fermentations. The vineyards may sound familiar to fans of Atelier Wines. We harvested the Alexander Valley Syrah vineyards that made our former home winemaking efforts famous as well as the Contra Costa County Zinfandel we've more recently become known for. Since this was an early season, we were able to monitor the grapes closely and obtain optimum ripeness prior to picking. Out in the warmer/sunnier location of Oakley, in Contra Costa, we harvested the zinfandel in mid-August, while in slightly cooler Alexander Valley the syrah grapes stubbornly held on until mid-September (still an early harvest for the typical year. The 2004 wines promise to be fine wines. As we put the wines to barrel, the colors were rich, aromas very pleasant, and the taste was vibrant with the flavors of quality Syrah and Zinfandel wines. Mark your calendars for Spring 2006. The wine promises not to disappoint. All the wine asks from us now is patience.