Growing Season & Vintage Conditions

Spring temperatures and rainfall were normal with only a couple of mild frost events which were successfully fought.  Flowering proceeded in warm and relatively stable weather and resulted in setting a normal sized crop across all three varieties. December was warm and dry with these conditions further exacerbated over the next several weeks until a welcome rain event on February 21. With the relatively dry conditions prevailing for the previous months, this event and the periodic rain throughout March (but still only 43mm recorded), did not present any disease pressure issues and provided welcome relief to the warm and somewhat previous stressful conditions. Cooler night temperatures arrested the ripening for slow and steady development.

Harvest commenced on March 23, and fears of an early, hot and fast harvest were fortunately not realised. Riesling was harvested from April 4-13.