After several vintages of unseasonably cool and late harvests, by mid-August we seemed on track for a harvest date in the 3rd week of September. Lower temperatures in August and September slowed ripening a wee bit, a blessing with aromatic varieties. We picked October 2nd, before sun-up, as is our habit. One of the glories of malvasia is explicit signaling with regard to maturity - these grapes let you know when they are ready. Until then, the bat signal stays firmly tucked. The moment the flavor spectrum includes flowers, sweet citrus, and still a touch of mint, the night sky lights up over Gotham. We continue our practice of extended skin contact, dual stream pressing, and extremely cold fermentation. The most relevant detail for 2012, forgotten until the end here, is that we now draw on a favored block at the northern boundary of the vineyard: a rockier, chalkier terrain which yields a slightly more refined rendition of malvasia, though the telltale response to this wine’s perfume we hear at tastings remains, “Holy extended massive organoleptic eruption, Batman...”