We have had the good fortune to strike a deal to purchase about a barrels worth of Petit Verdot for this vintage from one our neighbors up the hill. This is a super exciting thing for us in terms of expanding our production, but also in terms of establishing a collaboration with another wine-grower on Mount Alto. One unexpected outcome of this collaboration is that as we tested grape chemistry today we discovered an intriguing difference: their Petit Verdot are about a week ahead of our Petit Verdot in terms of maturity. Their vineyard is located roughly 1,000 meters up hill as the crow flies, and faces east/southeast, whereas our vineyard faces west/southwest. Their vineyard is also planted to the same clone as ours. Their soils are similar to ours, but not identical, which as it turns out, matters. As a result we have to plan our harvesting strategies around this difference in maturity, picking one block a week in advance of the other.
So now, in addition to the boon of an expanded wine production, the frisson of a new relationship, and a boost in the amount of Petit Verdot that we can blend with our Cabernet Sauvignon, we also get to experience a difference. What the French would call a terroir difference. We will observe this difference. We will make wine with it!!
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