Vintage Reports
This is shaping up as a bench-mark vintage on the Peninsula. All varieties have an intense flavour and structural integrity that will make them stand out for many years to come.
Many thought that 2000 was a great vintage, but the benign warm weather in summer and autumn produced quality fruit that was second to none. Budburst was earlier than usual, producing healthy shoots, which we thinned to ensure good air movement through the developing canopy. The fine weather of the final weeks before harvest meant that all elements of the fruit were concentrated.
2001 was a very high yeilding year, shoot and bunch thinning kept quantities down to 2 tonnes per acre, thus ensuring flavour concentrate. All wines have now been bottled.
The 2001 Pinot Gris was released in late February 2002 (See Cellar Notes).The Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Shiraz will be released later in 2002.
A mild but dry winter and an excellent spring resulted in good budburst, flowering and fruit set. The summer was dry so the vines were irrigated to ensure healthy leaves in autumn. Overall, it was a classic hot summer. Autumn weather was best of all especially during the five weeks prior to vintage and during the time the grapes were picked.
Fruit was picked at 14 and 14+ Beame. The bunches were well formed and clean, with a dominance of small berries (usually an indicator of fine quality).
This, our first vintage, produced ripe, succulent, intensely flavoured grapes the quality of which is reflected in the excellent wines.
