|
|
Winemaker's Note
Looking at the vineyard...
I thought you might enjoy this overhead view of Shaw Vineyard, looking southward. You can see the rows of vinifera (red and white varietals) surrounding the Shaw tasting room, production facility, office, and storage barns. To the southwest are the vineyards of our neighbor, HJ Wiemer, with which we share a similar and outstanding viticultural Terrior. Soils and climate are key elements in our quest for excellence.
I've always enjoyed new vantage points. For instance, many Finger Lakes wineries will talk excitedly about their 2018 vintage focusing on the actual picking and pressing, but I want to emphasize that the harvest at Shaw actually starts in July.
Each year, Shaw drops tons of fruit mid-summer in a "green" harvest. This allows robust vines to concentrate their efforts on a limited group of clusters. Furthermore, the initial overcropping leads to the formation of smaller berries on the remaining clusters with great juice-to-skin ratio. This effort is a lot of work, but it makes a world of difference in terms of consistent quality vintage to vintage.
Low yields make great wines and are most often maintained by top producers in a given wine region.
Yes, 2018 is going to be a stellar vintage, but there is always room to make the selection of grapes in a given vineyard even better. This methodical approach comes in handy in difficult vintages and results in the consistency of quality that Shaw wines exhibit, even in "challenging" growing conditions.
Some of our cellar-aged wines were recently bottled and will be available this fall in addition to what's already in the tasting room. These wines include:
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Pinot Noir
2013 Cabernet Franc
2016 Pinot Grigio Vin Rustique (see side panel)
2017 Chardonnay Unoaked
2017 Sauvignon Blanc
2017 Gewurtztraminer (available very soon)
Our aged reds and lees contact whites continue to offer our customers a unique winemaking style and tasting experience. See you in the tasting room this harvest season!
~ Steve
Autumn harvest is a great time to visit. Come visit us and taste a full complement of Shaw wines.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|