A NOTE FROM TOM
Harvest is everything. All else is preparation.
After 71 days of being up before the bars close, our 2022 harvest season has concluded. I am happy to report that the fruit looks fantastic. Mother Nature didn’t make it easy with bouts of frost, drought, hail, and the early September heat wave. Some good fortune, combined with a good farming team saw us through.
During all the harvest rush, our assistant winemakers and crew have worked very closely with our new winemaker, Philippe Melka. I have to say, I am very excited about the wines I am tasting on a daily basis. Our attention shifts to how the different vineyard components will complement each other and come together to make beautiful, balanced wine. Blending trials and vineyard development will keep us busy until harvest 2023 takes hold.
As we move into winter months, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, celebrating with your loved ones over a few glasses of Gamble wine.
2022 HARVEST SEASON
We will associate the success of this vintage with fortunate timing and a little good-farming karma. Unpredictable weather began early this year, with cold temperatures, rain, and hail in late spring. The impact of which played out in our favor, without any critical damage during flowering and fruit set development. With the exception of the historical heat wave, moderate temperatures throughout the summer allowed the grapes to mature steadily.
Winemaking began with that first delivery of Sauvignon Blanc on August 16th. Just before a few brave souls took to foot stomping the grapes at our annual blessing of the grapes celebration. Just as soon as we finished picking Sauvignon Blanc, we began harvesting red grapes in anticipation of the Labor Day weekend heat wave. The hot temperatures were followed up by unseasonably cool weather and we actually stopped picking between September 16th and 28th due to cool temperatures and rain.
The mad dash of harvest officially ended on October 14th, but the hard work is not over for our cellar team! They have wines to press off, punch down, and pump over, tanks to dig out, and fermentations to oversee. The crew is also hard at work monitoring and topping off white wines that are already in barrel and preparing empty barrels to be filled. Not to mention the task of cleaning. Lomber, Jaime, Juan and Carlos are hard at work preparing the essential harvest equipment for its year-long slumber. Until next year sorting table!
MEET PHILIPPE MELKA
An interview with one of Gamble’s new winemakers, of Team Atelier Melka.
