Flying Goat's harvest came and went with the blink of an eye. Rio Vista Vineyard Pinot Noir fruit for Goat Bubbles Brut Cuvée was the first to come in on August 30th, which was 10 days later than last year and atypical from previous vintages. We completed the sparkling wine harvest in ten days.

A couple of heat waves in early September pushed along the maturity of the still Pinot Noir. On September 5, we harvested Pinot Noir fruit from Nielson Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. We had sourced Pinot Gris from Nielson over a decade ago. Now under new ownership, we are excited to work with the Jackson Family and another California heritage clone called Swan. The clone was named after Joseph Swan, who is known for his eponymous vineyard in Russian River Valley. Nielson is the most eastern Pinot Noir vineyard that we source from. Hence, the first pick. We finished up harvest by September 20. 

This year we utilized Rousseau French oak 3-ton open top fermenters (above) and are excited with the results. We cannot wait to share these wines with you. Cellar Master André Baltazar recruited his younger brother, Isaiah, to assist us in harvest (below). Isaiah was a welcome addition and we enjoyed watching a novice learn the process of wine production.