In The Barrel

We welcome you to follow along in the barrel room as BARRA of Mendocino winemaker Jason Welch updates you on how our wines are progressing throughout the various winemaking stages.  Questions about the Barra wines? Email us at info@barraofmendocino.com

1/12--REMINISCINGS ON HARVEST 2011: Aahh 2011 Crush, how do we forget thee? I’m only partially joking here! The 2011 Harvest was one that was ripe with anticipation, frustration, disappointment and lots of prayer! The seemingly endless spring and early summer rains wreaked havoc on bud break, which in turn set us up for a low yielding, late harvest. Across the region, yields were down on average by 40%! Adding to the gloomy feelings we all carried around, was heavy rain the first week of October. October is THE month during harvest, where we really ramp up the pace and truly start crush. October is a glorious time weather wise in California…or at least it used to be! The heavy rains and cool days compounded the issues we were encountering…low sugars (Brix) and mold on tight cluster varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah). Growers were faced with a dilemma, drop the affected fruit, or run the gauntlet trying to get riper grapes. They did both.

Now that I’ve soured your mood and driven you to reach for the bottle (preferably a 2009 Barra Pinot Noir), let me brighten your day with what went well this harvest! Our vineyard team did an amazing job of keeping the fruit as solid as it could be. With timely leaf pulling (to expose the grape clusters to air flow and sunlight), and cluster thinning (this helps the grapevine to concentrate its energy on less fruit and more ripeness), we were able to harvest some beautiful fruit. I have always believed that given great fruit, you’ll make great wine. From what I’ve tasted so far, we have done just that. Stay tuned!

Update from the Cellar:

We have about half of the wines through ML (Malolactic Fermentation) with more finishing every week. This process is where the harder acids (Malic) that are present in wine are fermented with special bacteria and converted into softer acids (Lactic). This helps smooth out the texture of a wine and make it more pleasing in the mouth. We are diligently keeping an eye on the wines and topping all barrels monthly. I look at it like it’s our nursery, and all the babies are being well fed and changed! My initial feelings on the wines are very positive and encouraging, I feel like we have made some solid wines that we can’t wait for you to try! Stay tuned and "Salute!"

Jason