Bringing in the Syrah

Mojo time! Brought in three hundred pounds of syrah yesterday, crushing until 10 PM and getting ready to pitch yeast tonight. Getting the lingo down..."pitching yeast" and running tests for TA (total acidity) 8.0, brix (sugar levels) 24, PH 3.38. Waiting another two weeks before bringing in the cabernet...the cool spring has dictated a very late harvest for cab.
So here is the plan: making two blends, "The Twins", named for Shane and Connor, of course. Fraternal twins intended to be enjoyed side-by-side, one a syrah-dominant blend with our cab, the other a cab-dominant blend with our syrah. Shooting for big flavors and mouth feel and tamping down the fruit just a bit since the acid levels should be trying to bring the fruit forward bigtime anyway. The boys are into it...I can imagine the Connor could easily be bringing a case to his fraternity house and Shane could build a house party around his wine...just realized that they will both be turning 21 right about the time these are ready to drink.
Beautiful crisp weather. Lots of pheasants running around. Neighbors have been baling straw, apparently destined for use in mushroom-growing. A red hawk has been hanging out on the wind day after day, not a bit afraid of cruising forty feet around us.