Bottling the first 2009s
It was long day, but the magnificent 2009 Peugeot blend (one discerning wine critic’s opinion of which is pictured above) is now officially concocted and resting calmly. We’ll let it reflect on its nature through the winter and bottle it next April, but in the meantime, everything that didn’t go into that blend got socked away under lock and cork.
Well, almost everything. Cabernet Franc (which we goosed with a wee dram of Syrah – 5%), Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon got stowed, but we ran out of time to bottle our 09 Pinot Noir and extended maceration (or “Ex Machina”) Cabernet Sauvignon. Those laggards will reach their final resting place this weekend, just hours before our first fruit of 2010 hurtles down the chute.
But as exhausting as it was, we got a lot done and the wines will more than make up for our labors, I think. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they’re friggin’ fantastic — made so in great measure by excellent fruit sources. Of course, the lovely lamb stew waiting for us after bottling didn’t hurt, either…
More pics after the jump…
A dour crew puts the front and top labels on comely bottles of Les Garagistes Cabernet Sauvignon. Hard to see it in this light, but that’s an incredible rendition of “Where the Wild Things Are” swirling up Hal’s arm.
Action shot of label applyin’. If you listen closely, you can hear the glue drying…
The afore-mentioned lamb stew, the good part of which by the time this photo was taken had been ravenously consumed. Whatever our winemaking skills, we have some top notch cooks on our rolls.
A glassy pool of Peugeot awaits its return into barrel for 6 more months of solitary. Here, Garagiste Mike pauses to reflect – in more ways than one… (yeah, ouch: sorry).
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