“A dozen rows of our oldest vines that survived the 2020 wildfire will offer us a lovely wine with deep character to form the heart of our 2023 Cain Five.” —Chris Howell
Dear Friends of Cain,
Harvest is almost upon us. The grapes have been ripening gently this year. Following a wet and cold Spring, the vines got off to a late start; flowering was late and protracted through the month of June. We knew then that harvest would not come until late September. To my view, this is the ideal time for winegrapes to ripen. At the equinox, each day becomes noticeably shorter; the vines take note, too, and quicken their ripening fruit. So far this year the weather has been ideal for ripening and classically Cain. The vines awake to temperate sunny mornings above the fog that blankets the Napa Valley, then warm throughout the day, yet without the dramatic heat that can stress the vines and cook the delicate perfume in the grapes.
Last week, when Katie and I were showing our wines in New York, many people asked about the vintage, i.e., would this be a “good” year? I know that it is difficult to understand, but as true wine lovers, we need to get away from simplistic good/bad thinking. 2023 will be my 34th harvest at Cain and each one is different, each has its own challenges which can only be understood in the course of the harvest and not before. Suffice it to say that up to now, just before the harvest, 2023 appears to be shaping up to be a mellow year – my favorite!
This is the time of year that we particularly enjoy walking the vineyard, observing the vines, their shoots, leaves, and grape clusters. Each berry began as a tiny flower. At first, as it begins to swell, it is much smaller than a pea, hard and green. Only after several weeks of development do the berries begin to soften and green skins slowly darken, first gray, then pink, then purple, and finally deep blue. Each flower bloomed at a slightly different moment, each berry ripens independently, resulting in some diversity within each cluster, one source of complexity in the wine.* But this year, it has been particularly important to go through the vineyard, removing clusters and parts of clusters that are lagging behind the others. Fortunately, we’ve had time to do this.
A dozen rows of our oldest vines that survived the 2020 wildfire will offer us a lovely wine with deep character to form the heart of our 2023 Cain Five. They’re so pretty, we almost can’t wait to begin picking them, but we must remain patient, watching the vines and the weather, to choose the right moment, neither too soon, nor too late.**
As we eagerly anticipate the harvest soon to come, this is also the time to get out our winemaking equipment, to clean everything and make sure that all is in good working order. It is satisfying work. Now, we’re ready for harvest!
