To pick or not to pick...

Just been out in Waipara sampling some Pinot Noir to get an idea of when harvest might be.

Fruit looks great, its disease free, not overcropped and tastes superb. Seeds are crunchy to the bite and much browner than they were this time last year, indicating a greater level of phenolic maturity. Tannins will be ripe, not green. Ripeness appears quite uniform across the bunch.

From a simple refractometer test the current brix levels are 22.8 - fermented to dryness this might equate to something just over 13% alcohol (taking into account a half percent or so that may be lost during the open-top fermentation) . Sounds good so far.

Acidity levels range from 6.5 to 7.5 grams per litre. Again, almost exactly what we are looking for. Levels will fall during the secondary Malolactic fermentation as well so if anything these are a little low although tasting my way round a few vineyards and varieties in the region, this does seem to be a year of lower acids. I may have to add some acid to the ferments.

pH levels are between 3.1 to 3.2 - this is great for this time of year. As sugar (brix) levels rise pH can start to rocket. We need to be aware that the drop in acidity from the MLF will see a corresponding rise in the wines pH. If we are aiming for a final pH of around 3.65 then these current figures are ideal.

So whats holding me back. Shouldn't I call in the pickers? Almost - weather forecast is great for the next few days so perhaps sometime next week will be the time. This might allow for another 0.5% alcohol and some riper fruit characters in our Pinot. Stay tuned.