The 2016 harvest is well underway. This is our second vintage in the new winemaking facility, and we are very happy to see the crush going smoothly. It was a bit touch-and-go as the harvest approached—problems with the cooling system and the three-phase electricity and our biggest pump and the barrel import—but it all came together just before the Cauquenes fruit was ready to pick. Although Cauquenes is cooler than Aconcagua, the dry-farmed vineyard ripens first. Last year, we brought the small harvest up on one truck. This year, we picked the Tempranillo on Thursday, 12 March, and went back for the Petit Sirah on Saturday the 19th. The País was still green, so we left it hanging for two more weeks. In Aconcagua, the picking started with the Syrah on 31 March. Alberto, our harvest enologist, has been very busy with fermentations, punchdowns, and pressing out. This week, we have fifteen lots in varying stages of fermentation or maceration—a record for Flaherty. The Syrah harvest is just about finished and the Cabernet about to start. We should be crushing for another two to three weeks.
/FlahertyWines
@flahertywines
@flahertywines