was a season of firsts for Black Ankle Vineyards. It was our
first large-scale harvest, our first harvest of white wine grapes,
and it will be the first vintage that we bottle. The 2006 growing season was predictably unpredictable, as so many summers are in our region. An extremely dry spring and early summer was followed in mid-June by the largest rainstorm in the last century, with over 12 inches of rain falling on the region in only three days. We were lucky to miss the worst of the storms at Black Ankle (we only got 8 inches!), and to have clear, sunny days when we needed them most in the early season—during the periods of bloom, when the delicate flowers forming on the vines can be easily damaged by heavy rain, and during fruit set, when the vines need sunny skies and warm temperatures to set a healthy crop.
Inspecting the grapes
for ripeness late in the season
For our white wines it was a season of discovery. 2006 was the 3rd leaf for our white varieties, so it was the first chance we had to produce white grapes. Our small block of Chardonnay was picked in the middle of September, followed a few weeks later by our Gruner Veltliner, Albarino, and finally the Viognier. The grapes did well despite the weather (especially the Albarino, which comes from the very wet and cool Galicia region of Spain and probably felt right at home). We had chosen to grow these varieties from among our favorites white grapes in part because they have a reputation for being able to thrive even under difficult weather conditions, and we were delighted to see them come through with flying colors.
The red wine grapes, which are always more difficult to ripen
than the whites, needed patience and courage this year. The
cool wet weather meant that the grapes ripened slowly, and needed
constant monitoring at the end of the season. The Merlot was
ready to pick in early October, followed closely by the Malbec.
The Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, followed in mid-October,
and finally the Cabernet Sauvignon finished things up in the
last week of October. The reds were picked on average about
2 weeks later than normal, but all were in great shape with
excellent flavors and aromas. We are delighted with the results of our first significant harvest. The reds are rich, vibrant, deeply colored wines, and the whites have heady aromas and a clean, crisp profile.
 Grape cluster in earliest stage of development, May 2006. |
 Grape clusters during flowering, June 2006. |
 Grape clusters with nearly full-sized berries, July 2006. |
 Grape cluster going through veraison, the earliest stage of ripening. |
 Ripe grape cluster ready to be picked, October 2006. |
 Harvest |
