Spring Release 2004
2004 Spring 2004 was a merciful change from the preceding year. Only few frosts were encountered, we flew the helicopters as protection only three times, and no damage to the flowers was sustained. Once again the season was wet right up to December, but unlike the previous year, conditions were consistently warm and gave rise to explosive growth, big canopies and very good conditions for flowering. These conditions promoted potentially large berry sizes for later in the season and combined with the continuing good conditions for flowering, set the stage for consistently solid cropping levels. The unseasonably warm December temperatures were also expected to boost phenolic ripeness at harvest.
Through January our staff spent many extra hours random sampling for crop estimates and then thinning fruit where necessary to maintain cropping at levels which would sustain quality. Unseasonal winds through January and February caused some canopy damage, and these were followed in mid-February by rains and record flooding which, combined with enormously strong winds, upturned trees, removed roofs, broke vineyard posts and lifted end assemblies. In some of the region's vineyards, whole rows of vines ended up on the ground. If global warming is to be signalled by weather extremes as the experts say, it has definitely arrived!
The weather turned cold and cloudy from then on, and February was declared the coldest on record. We launched into repeated leaf-plucking and management of the regrowth to compensate for the worrying lack of sunshine. To our surprise, vintage arrived earlier than expected and with dry conditions for picking Pinot noir and Chardonnay - both of which showed good flavours and outstanding acid balance. Our impression across all varieties was similar, and we expect the hallmark of the vintage to be distinctively varietal and approachable wines which mature a little earlier than some vintages because of the large berry size at harvest.
- Chardonnay 2003
As with all the '03 wines, crop levels for this variety were very low - at about 700kg/acre - and the drawn out, dry vintage conditions enhanced flavour concentration. The wine is light straw in colour and shows good condition. It has an opulent nose of flowers, sweet nectarines, crushed nuts and gentle spices. The palate is silky in texture, poised, even elegant, but not lacking in concentration. Its tight structure probably indicates that it is a long-term wine. It tastes of ripe nectarines with citrus zest. dried figs and spices/cloves showing through with a mineral finish and a very persisent aftertaste. I would describe it as 'opulent but well disciplined'. It should be drinking well from about 2006.
- Lovat Gewurztraminer 2004
The fruit from this block's vines is starting to show more spice that is derived from the increasing vine age. The wine is lemon-gold with a lightly honeyed nose of orange zest and blossoms, creme brulee, Turkish delight and some fruitcake spice. It has an oily texture with a firm backbone and robust flavours from lush pear to white peach, orange peel, cloves and comb honey. You lose little by drinking Gewurztraminer earlier than most other varieties, although a recent vertical tasting suggested they can be surprisingly long-lived. Our suggestion is for cellaring 1-5 years.
- Pinot noir 2003
This is another typically low-yield '03 wine, the fruit for which was brought in at about 1.2 T/a. The colour is a dense, rich ruby with an almost purple edge. Its nose is both subtle clove and cinnamon tones. The palate is soft and rounded, with obvious concentration. Ripe fruit tannins are buried in unctuous fruit - violets, red and black berries, liquorice - and a slightly spicy aftertaste. The hallmarks of the wine are concentration with elegance and delicacy of expression.
This wine is attractive drinking already, but following a recent vertical tasting of our Pinot noirs in which the '89-91 were still showing well, I would expect that in cellars temperature controlled to 12?C it should be drinking well at 5-15 years. Warmer cellars will tend to give different results, as we have discussed on other occasions.
- Craighall Riesling 2004
This is moderately rich in colour for a young dry Riesling. It has a fresh hue and a nose of talc, lime and lemon zest, pineapple (?) and a whiff of African violets. The palate is somewhat rounded and moderately structured. It has a clean entry, is dry and full length, and has an elegant finish and a persistent aftertaste. It has cleansing mineral flavours tasting of crushed lime, lemon curd and sherbet. My best guess is that it will show its best at 3 to 6-7 years, depending on the cellar. Review in about 2006/07.
- Sauvignon blanc 2004
This wine is light straw in colour and has a largely floral bouquet with hints of pine needles and fresh undergrowth. It has a long fresh and cleansing palate with pure, lively mineral characters, also showing flowers, white peach and a touch of lime. It has a silky texture in quite an elegant palate which is not lacking in substance. This wine will be fine currently as an accompaniment for food, but as with previous vintages we expect it to be long-lived and to show development over the years.
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