Suisun Valley 2009 Grapes Arrive

Grapes for the 2009 Chez Ray vintage arrived this weekend from Lanza Family Vineyards in the Suisun Valley, just southeast of Napa Valley, CA.

Although I had plans to subject the entire 2009 vintage to Enoferm RP15 (aka VQ15, VQ-15, or RP-15) yeast, the grapes arrived before my yeast. So my yeast and grape schedule was as follows:

Lalvin ICV-D254
Lanza Merlot (ML9A)

Lalvin ICV-D80
Lanza Merlot (ML9B)

Lalvin BM45
Lanza Merlot (ML9C)

Mixed: Lalvin D254, D80, BM45
Lanza Cabernet Sauvignon (Rock Vineyards) (CL9)
Lanza Cabernet Sauvignon (Koch Vineyards) (CK9)
Lanza Petite Syrah (PSL9)

I used Go-Ferm to reconstitute yeast, and built an approx half-gallon starter by adding crushed grapes during the course of a day. I'll get the ferment going at room temperature, then move to a cooler basement ferment after a couple of days. Basement fermentation proceeded at approximately 65 degrees F.