Shot from the top of the barrels; they do sway just a bit when a 160lb man (okay, 165-170 really) is up there topping them up...
Went through all 15 barrels looking for any off aromas, tastes, chemistry. Liked the new barrels (Damy, Francois Freres). The one-year olds were sublime, always a favorite. I have a particular tight grained 2010 Taransaud barrel which by my lights continues to contribute a subtle weight and spice.
Color looks nice, no? Some folks add enzymes and other products to their musts to enhance color -- we do not. This year we did not add yeast: the ferment was strictly driven by the native yeasts on the grapes. This is the color the soil and fruit gave us, the color of good Pinot Noir we think: a shimmering brick red, not a deep ruby purple like a Cabernet or Petite Syrah.
Here's the aeration/titration set-up for assessing free SO2 in the wine. Free SO2 and pH are a predictor of molecular SO2, a critical factor in wines' oxidative and microbiological stability. Time consuming to gather this data, but an important factor for my Pinot, where our goal is to neither rack nor filter prior to bottling.
