My garden Pinot Noir vines have yet to reach veraison, but they are looking very healthy. No signs of any disease, and just two sulfur applications so far the only preventive measures I have taken this season.
My only cause for concern is the debris hiding in the bunches, from failed berries and dead flower caps (pictured). The bunches are currently pretty open, but should they close a bit more, this debris could cause the bunches to rot from the inside if it gets infected by botrytis.
I’ve tried to get as much out as possible by manual means, because I don’t plan to spray any more before harvest.
6 Comments on Pinot Noir, pre veraison
What clones are you using Jamie? I presume it will all be handpicked?
You could always make a botrytised Pinot!!!
Yes, all four PN vines will be hand-picked. The clone? Unknown. Not very scientific, I know.
Hmmm, botrytised Pinot. Not really my thing.
I found this post and the subsequent comments quite interesting. I am a Canadian wine blogger and I cover a new region in Ontario called Prince Edward County.The best wineries are specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The varieties are quite suited to the shallow clay loam soils that lie atop fractured limestone. In fact, Prince Edward County itself is essentially a limestone headland that juts into Lake Ontario not far from the St. Lawrence seaway.
Anyway I found this post interesting because this is usually when veraison occurs in the County. However, due to a very early spring and a warm summer veraison actually started occuring 2 weeks ago! Seeing your picture Jamie made me realize just how early things are here this year.
The second comment I found interesting was the one about Botrytised Pinot Noir. Over the past two years two top end growers in Prince Edward County have made it. In 2008 Geoff Heinricks, winemaker at Keint-He, had much of his Pinot go the way of botrytis. The wine is currently sitting in Hungarian oak and is fantastic. Its sort of like the botrytis affected wines from the Austrian village of Rust with its own uniqueness.
Then last year Bruno Francois and Jens Korberg who own 5 acres of Pinot Noir at their winery called The Old Third. They had some of their Pinot affected with botrytis and were able to make a wine from it, but kept it all in stainless steel. Again really unique fascinatingly complex wine that has a mouthfeel like a top end Vendage Tardives from Alsace.
I have write ups on both of them on my blog/website http://www.huntigvines.ca. And Jamie, or anyone reading this for that matter. If you get a chance to come to Canada please visit Prince Edward County. The best producers are growing organic or biodynamic, cropping at low levels,fermenting with indigenous yeasts,not fining or filtering their wines, and are using low levels of sulphur. Furthermore, most are small so the winemaker is usually the owner is always around to chat with.
The only problem is you can really only get their wines from the winery themselves. If anyone does get a chance to come send me an email and I’d be happy to show you around or give you advice on winemakers you should meet and talk to.
Hunter, ha! my comment was meant to be tongue-in-cheek…I shall have to research this further.
I figured it might have been a bit off a joke from you, but no they are making serious Botrytis Affected Pinot. I also just realized I typed my blog address wrong on my post, so now you may think I was joking. Its http://www.huntingvines.ca Sorry I missed the ‘n’. Both of Keint-He’s and The Old Third’s B.A. wines haven’t been released. But I had dinner with Jens and Bruno last night and they will be bottling their’s soon. Probably this fall.