flowing...
At Stratus, the entire winemaking program is based on gentle handling and gravity flow. Twice each year, the wines are drained by gravity from barrel to tank and then elevated to the second story to allow for the effect of gravity to transfer the wines into the bottle. The autumn bottling is especially exciting for two reasons:
One: The assemblage of our two signature wines Stratus White and Stratus Red is complete and ready to move from barrel to bottle. These wines represent the best expressions of our vineyard and vintage and their release is much anticipated each year.
Two: The emptying of barrels signals the dawn of a new harvest and vintage. J-L, our winemaker, predicts that we will begin harvest of the Stratus vineyard by mid-October. Gamay and Sauvignon Blanc will be picked first with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon typically left to hang until mid-November. In between, we will harvest our other nine varieties as each achieves maximum ripeness. Until then, we are enjoying superb end-of-summer conditions with hot, sunny days and fresh, cool nights. Stay tuned for updates on Harvest 2008.
