Fermentations!

We've started the fermentation on the Chardonnay!

We racked off juice into 6 barrels: 4 neutral whites and 2 nearly new Ramonds, whose wood came from the Allier forest in France. This amount of juice represents about 20% of the total, and will go through malolactic (ML) fermentation before being blended back in with the rest of the Chardonnay, which will be cold-fermented in stainless steel. This amount of ML will contribute to the mouthfeel, as will the small amount of oak. Still, the wine should retain a crispness and good acidity to complement the tropical character of the grapes.

We did the racking and the inoculation on Friday. Kristin came with me to the winery and shot some footage. This is all new for her, and it's great to have her enthusiasm around!

Meanwhile, on the home front, it's quickly getting to be time to file my 2008 taxes! Yay!