What are your 2016 season plans?

[NorCal]

Us home winemakers know what a pain it can be to source grapes from the top vineyards. I found it starts with making reservations far in advance. Here are my booked reservations and plans:

2000 lbs Grenache with @4Score
2000 lbs Syrah with @4Score
700 lbs Chardonnay with @4Score, @Busabill
200 lbs Cab Franc by myself

In total, my take will be 2400 lbs, 150-160 gallons.

What are your plans?

 

[Boatboy24]

Just slightly less than yours.

My dad wants in on this year's batch and we've just started discussing what to do. I'm pushing him toward a "Prisoner" style blend: primarily Zin, with Cab Sauv, Syrah, and Petit Sirah. Will probably do 3-4 lugs of each, then have some other blends and/or single varietal bottling as well. Hoping I can get grapes from Lanza again this year. Last year's wines from their grapes are very nice so far.

 

[JohnT]

I hope you are also planning to have a good crew to help (far in advance)....

 

[JohnT]

Just slightly less than yours.

My dad wants in on this year's batch and we've just started discussing what to do. I'm pushing him toward a "Prisoner" style blend: primarily Zin, with Cab Sauv, Syrah, and Petit Sirah. Will probably do 3-4 lugs of each, then have some other blends and/or single varietal bottling as well. Hoping I can get grapes from Lanza again this year. Last year's wines from their grapes are very nice so far.

OK, This is where it starts.. First your dad, then your brothers and sisters, uncles, then nieces, nephews, first cousins, second cousins, third cousins twice removed...

 

[Johnd]

I'm setting my sights on a couple of 55 gallon drums frozen must, a cab and a Zinfandel. Might also drop a chard or pg in there too.

 

[4score]

Big plans again....I'm doing;

2000 lbs Grenache with @NorCal
2000 lbs Syrah with @NorCal
700 lbs Chardonnay with @NorCal, @Busabill

In terms of a crew, my son @Crispyvelo will be there with us. He's our wine (and food) tasting/smelling expert.

I'm holding over a 30-gallon barrel of Mourvedre (not bottling this Summer) to use with a Rhone GSM blend from the grapes we get this Fall. Going for 46% Grenache, 36% Mourvedre and 18% Syrah blend to try and copy our 2014 version. Should have a lot of left-over Syrah for other options.

 

[JohnT]

A lot depends on availability and quality, but I would like to do 2 of the following...

- Merlot
- Petit sarah
- Cabernet Franc
- Cab Sav / merlot blend (90/10)
- sangiovese (80% that is blended with merlot, cab franc, and petit sarah)

I have not done a cab franc since 2010 and am excited to give it a revisit. I remember getting rather good results with that grape. However, I always seem to get good results with Merlot and Petit Sarah. I did these in 2014 and am bottling them now (quite yummy).

I did a merlot and a cab sav in 2015... Hmmmm, got me thinking now, perhaps a Cabernet Franc and a Sangio blend to change things up a bit.

 

[4score]

A lot depends on availability and quality, but I would like to do 2 of the following...

- Merlot
- Petit sarah
- Cabernet Franc
- Cab Sav / merlot blend (90/10)
- sangiovese (80% that is blended with merlot, cab franc, and petit sarah)

I have not done a cab franc since 2010 and am excited to give it a revisit. I remember getting rather good results with that grape. However, I always seem to get good results with Merlot and Petit Sarah. I did these in 2014 and am bottling them now (quite yummy).

I did a merlot and a cab sav in 2015... Hmmmm, got me thinking now, perhaps a Cabernet Franc and a Sangio blend to change things up a bit.

Good ideas there! In fact, I watched a wine review by Gary V of a $400/bottle Napa wine. It was a blend of Cab Franc, Merlot (the primaries), also with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and a dash of Petite Verdot. NorCal and I had our Cab Franc (bottled) and some PV (bottled), so we purchased some Merlot and Cab and like mad scientists, recreated the blend! It was fantastic! We made just 12 bottles of the magic blend - keeping with the blending percentages of the 100-point $400 bottle. Fun project!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUe_xtK8aSg[/ame] <- check out this review.