An early and overall cool, wet Spring boosted vineyard growth and the prospects for a year with similar characteristics to the previous season. By early December the conditions were unseasonably warm and flowering commenced in almost prefect conditions resulting in good crop levels for all varieties. In contrast to the previous season, conditions then became very dry leaving the vines with full canopies but under some drought stress by the time 'veraison' (when flavours and sugar start to accumulate) was reached. The ripening period was extended for some varieties by this drought stress, and a feature of the vintage was the atypical ripening pattern - resulting in fully ripe phenolics, more floral flavours and markedly lower alcohols in what are nevertheless ripe wine styles. |
