i was thinking that we should bottle just before this year's crush to give the barrels some time to do their work. on the other hand, if it is aging so nicely, we could bottle some from the barrel and then move the kegs to the barrel.
of course the white and rose's will be ready much sooner. i am drinking a sample of the SvB right now and find it quite excellent. there are 3 six packs here if will, alexis and greg want to pick them up.
here are some thoughts about the grenache:
blend 10 gal grenache rose with 6 gal grenache (almost rose) = nice color
12 gallons of grenache (almost rose) straight
15 gallons of grenache (almost rose) mixed with 5-6 gallons ps 25-28% ps or even more ps. have to experiment with some blends
that leaves 6 gal or less of grenache for topping up ps. not ideal but neither is too much head space.