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| HOME › HARVEST DIARY |
| 27. 10. 2003 |
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The third week of October is the climax of our harvest.
We were harvesting in all the most important vineyards (Heiligenstein,
Käferberg, Loiserberg, Lamm) and have brought in a large part of the
grapes safely and in wonderful condition. Some grapes are still in the
vineyards and are now experiencing the sensational plunge in
temperatures – the coolest October night since records began was
measured from Friday to Saturday.
On Saturday, we had to brush the snow off the leaves and could havest
delicious Riesling grapes. The sorrows and joys of the grapes – cold,
dry air during the night and sun during the day – create a
concentration of aromas allowing us to hope for truly exceptional wines.
Due to the frosty temperatures and the wind, most of the leaves have
now fallen and the fruit hangs free and unprotected from the whims of
autumn. We will therefore continue harvesting as fast as possible and
with using every helper we can. So far, because of the cool, dry air,
the grapes are still perfectly healthy. A Beerenauslese or
Trockenbeerenauslese seems unlikely this year.
By the way: seen purely analytically, the grapes have changed very
little since the beginning of September. A chemist might not find any
difference in the must. The taste of the late autumn grapes, however,
is infinitely more subtle and differenciated. A late harvest does not
necessarily entail heavy, sweet wines. The cool, dry conditions favour
character and individuality, but increase the sweetness only slightly.
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