The vine Cycle depends largely upon the regions climate. Marlborough is a cool climate region in the Southern Hemisphere so our cycles are, of course, opposite to those of Bordeaux. We hope you find the information below interesting and helpful!
The Vine's cycle commences around October when shoots begin to elongate throughout October and November. Tiny berries begin to develop but remain green and hard until about February at which time veraison begins. Veraison is the stage in a grapes life when it changes color and softens. This is also when the sugars start to develop. Harvest, on average, commences in April, exact date pending variety, vineyard location and weather.
Please find below a brief explanation of the monthly operations at our working Estate. It has been broken down into winery and vineyard.
Winery:
January is a time of much preparation. In the winery, Patricia and Mike regularly extract samples from the maturing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir barrels (last years harvest) to ensure the wines are retaining the appropriate balance of pH, acidity and tannin. The samples are trialed in the lab to assist in the decisions for the final assemblage.
Stock take of Winery is done at this time for all Oenology products. It is also very important to check all machinery and equipment now, prior to harvest, to ensure perfect function ability.
Vineyard:
Leaf plucking begins. This is the time when vines begin to form clusters of grapes, a process called berry set. It is important to have careful canopy management to ensure they receive the appropriate amount of sunshine for healthy development purposes.
Winery:
Based on the barrel sample trials of last month, select barrels are transferred from the cellar to stainless steel tanks for stabilization procedures prior to creating the final assemblage of the Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
With the barrels now emptied, they are prepared for their next 'resident' with a thorough cleaning and sterilization. At this time the barrels are also assessed (age, usability etc.), as some barrels will no longer be of the standard required by Isabel for use in a further vintage.
Preparations are underway now for bottling. Machines are serviced and bottles, screw caps, cartons, and labels ordered. Preparations for the upcoming harvest continue as well, with the ordering of oenology products and ensuring sufficient equipment, vats barrels etc., to handle the expected crop.
Vineyard:
Beginning of fruit sampling, this is done by varieties, blocks and clones. All results are recorded to check against previous vintages for comparisons of development rates due to seasonal variability.
It is also necessary to get an estimation of the upcoming crop size to prepare appropriately.
In February, the veraison stage commences and ripening of grapes begins. It is now that sugar, flavor, color and many other components develop within the berry cells. Berry size, and thus bunch weight and form, increases dramatically.
Winery:
Bottling of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the previous vintage after approximately 10 months in oak. Length of time spent in oak is based solely on flavor profile and tasting analysis conclusions of the Tiller's and oenologist Patricia Miranda.
Vineyard:
Organization of staff for the hand harvest begins.
Continued samplings of grapes are done regularly in order to decide the optimum time for picking. This is based on the brix (sugar levels), flavor profiles, acidity and tannin levels. This is Patricia and Mike's favorite time in the vineyard as it is ever interesting to taste all the many flavors and phenolic ripeness' of the berries and to watch them develop and evolve into their distinctive varietal characteristics.
Winery:
Processing and weighing of the grapes brought in from the vineyard. Careful decisions based on overall quality, flavor, ripeness etc. for pending treatment options. Crushing, de-stemming, pressing, fermentation styles and vessels and clone blending are a few of the many options to consider.
Pinot Noir is generally the first grape to be picked, so typically April consists mostly of pressing off the Pinot Noir and transferring it to barrel.
The remaining grape varieties follow. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and then the Riesling with the late harvest Sauvignon Blanc the only grapes remaining on vine for further ripening. As harvest times depend on nature, an exact schedule is never available, keeping us on our toes at all times.
Vineyard:
A very busy time as harvest has begun.
Winery:
The first month of maturation in French oak for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in our underground cellar, this is the beginning of the 10-month process.
Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling now rest on lees while finishing fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Regular lees stirring entail to contribute complexities and richness to the wines. It also assists in creating a more rounded palate.
Grape skins collected after pressings are mulched and put aside to use as fertilizer in the vineyard.
Vineyard:
With autumn comes the beginning of leaf fall and vine lignification (shoots are now brown). Lignification is when a vine 'hibernates' as such, the shoots become stick-like and loose their green internal fleshiness and are only then ready to be safely cut back for the winter season. So, pruning can now begin and will continue through the winter months. Late pruning in frosty districts is sometimes required as well.
Winery:
Aging of wines continue, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in barrel, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling on lees, in tank.
This is the time when racking off lees occurs if desired. This is determined through the constant analysis and trials performed by Patricia, focusing on the pending blends style and needs. Minimal filtration is also considered at this time, but only as needed to preserve the wines natural integrity.
Vineyard:
Pruning continues and the cuttings are mulched and incorporated back into the soil. As with the spreading of grape skins, this is an ideal solution for adding the required nutrients to the soil while being environmentally sustainable.
The vineyard team also begins preparations for next season by checking all trellis systems and ensuring all machinery is 100% operational. Work programs are now designed for the coming growing season.
Winery:
Now comes the time for the final assemblage of the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Dry Riesling. Careful and thorough trials are conducted to ensure the perfect balance. Once decided upon, protein stabilization, cold stabilization and minimal filtration, as required, commence prior to bottling.
Vineyard:
Continued pruning.
Winery:
Exact dates varying; typically August is the month of bottling. Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are bottled with close attention by quality control to ensure precision closure and labeling results.
Vineyard:
More pruning! It is also the time to replant, if required.
Winery:
The bottling of current vintage Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling continues. Stock takes of bottling supplies, i.e. capsules, are done to assist with next years purchase requirements.
In the cellar, Chardonnay may be heading in the direction of Malolactic fermentation. Mike and Patricia will decide, based on flavor profiles, whether they will allow, encourage or halt this natural acid conversion. If malo is encouraged the amount does vary year to year, again based on analysis, last year they decided upon 25% to ensure the purity of fruit was retained.
Vineyard:
The final touches on pruning....hopefully!
Winery:
Now comes the time we place orders for next vintages barrels. Samples of various oaks and degrees of toast are carefully compared and inspected before decisions are made on quantities and styles of French barriques required.
In the cellar, Pinot Noir is in the midst of a secondary fermentation process called Malolactic fermentation. It is important to keep a close eye on the barrels and to rack off the sediment as required. Chardonnay enjoys frequent lees stirring during this time. This contributes to the creaminess and complexities of both the palate and the nose.
Vineyard:
With spring comes exciting vineyard activity. The vines are experiencing 'bud burst'. This is the stage when the vine shoots bare new leaves and small bunches of grape flowers. The leaves are typically a slightly fuzzy, white tinted light green in their extreme youth.
It is important at this time to begin the canopy management regime. Shoot thinning of the vines to balance the amount of fruit with the leaf area and bud rubbing of the stems to control the amount of grape clusters allowed to develop.
With new growth comes the need to protect, so a preventative organic spray is used, the minimum required, to avoid any potential ailments.
Winery:
Patricia checks both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay barrels individually for taste and compositional analysis every two weeks.
Lees stirring of the Chardonnay barrels continue, while the Pinot Noir is left to develop untouched.
At this early stage of vine development a harvest estimation is done to 'give an idea' of crop size to winery staff, this assists with the upcoming winery preparations.
As well, now is the time to organize people for next vintage, internship students from overseas. These students are generally recent graduates with winemaking degrees for cool climate production.
Vineyard:
Bud burst continues. Leaves begin to darken in color and open up. Vineyard health is carefully surveyed and maintained by our dedicated vineyard team. Canopy management continues with the necessary shoot thinning, as low yielding vines are desired. This is a mandatory step towards concentrated, complex and healthy berry development.
Winery:
Internship applications continue to be reviewed.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir barrels biweekly checks continue for taste analysis and trials.
Vineyard:
Side shoots are eliminated now and some lateral trimming entails to control vine vigor. Again, these thorough methods are necessary to manage vine production and encourage high quality.
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