Pinot Noir

The Season:   An early bud-burst was followed by a very mild spring, a warm summer and a balmy dry autumn.  The weather allowed us to leave the fruit on the vine until it was optimally ripe.  It was a splendid season in general and an exceptional one for pinot noir resulting in high quality wines.

The Vineyard and the Vines: The grapes were grown on a mixture of clay and stony soils.  The fruit was exposed to the sunlight to optimise ripening and keep the berries well ventilated and healthy.

The spring and summer were particularly dry and hot, which lead to the development of ripe tannins and flavours.  We were becoming worried that the vines might become too heat and drought stressed when we had an unexpected downpour, which relieved the vines and set the streams gurgling.  This season was subsequently brought back into balance by a cool autumn, which helped conserve vibrant red fruit characters in the berries, while allowing full ripeness.

Cool weather in late spring, during the flowering period of the vines, interfered with pollination and lead to a natural reduction in the crop level. In spite of this we rigorously hand thinned and removed any fruit which was lagging behind the rest when the grapes were ripening. Hence we reduced our crop even further. The summer and autumn were excellent and we were able to pick grapes that were perfectly physiologically ripe.

The growing season was a little longer than usual as mild spring weather resulted in early bud burst. Although this was followed by warm days the nights were cool preventing excessively rapid growth and development. There was good accumulation of summer heat and the autumn was long and dry. Harvest was as usual in late March and April.

Cold weather over the period when the vines were in bloom meant that many flowers did not become fertilised and the eventual crop was small. The summer, however, was hot and the autumn was long, lingering and dry. We were thus able to harvest beautifully ripe, healthy fruit. The berry size in this vintage was smaller than usual, which along with the low crop level, has resulted in the wine having good concentration.

Early summer and midsummer were extremely hot and dry, but the latter part was cooler, bringing the season back into balance. A long warm autumn ensured the fruit was in optimal condition when picked.

The summer was warm, but not excessively hot, which favoured the development of true varietal pinot noir characters in this naturally cool climate variety. Low crop levels ensured good concentration in the wine.