Tuesday 19th March 2013
Following the rapid completion of the whites in late February, summer finished quite abruptly and, the first few weeks of March have been relatively mild and unsettled.
Fortunately there has been minimal rain and, the cooler conditions have allowed the reds to finish off slowly, building great flavour and excellent tannin ripeness. We harvested our first block of Shiraz with a small portion of Viognier last Tuesday, and now have a steady week or so of our Shiraz harvest in front of us. The early signs are very encouraging, with fine soft tannins, plush ripe fruit and great generosity of flavour.
The weather forecast for the next week appears perfect, with mild days, light breezes and plenty of sunshine.
Our yields on Shiraz have been within our targeted range of 5 to 6 tonnes per hectare, however I anticipate our Cabernet Sauvignon will be slightly lower than expected due to the very small berry size.
The quiet couple of weeks has enabled the winery team to keep on top of their workload and even have the odd day off – a rarity during the harvest period!.
Meanwhile, the vineyard team is really busy again netting the vines, as the dreaded Silvereye (small native grape loving bird,) has begun to arrive in small squadrons.
At this stage, I anticipate completing our Shiraz harvest late next week and, moving onto the Merlot and finally Cabernet Sauvignon during early April.
What appeared to be an early harvest has suddenly reverted to a more “normal” harvest window for the reds. We are also gearing up for our Friends and Family harvest day on Saturday, where we will be hand harvesting a small block of Shiraz. Run in a slightly less serious format than a normal pick - there is plenty of breaks for enjoying a glass of bubbles or red with breakfast followed by morning tea and a long lunch!.
Cheers,
Steve James
Tuesday 19 March 2013
Monday 18 March 2013
Rhone 2012 and 2011: updates
Posted by Giles Burke-Gaffney, Buying Director
Last week Rhone growers gathered together to show their 2011s, and the odd 2012 under the table, in Avignon at the Palais des Papes, Tain Hermitage, Mauves and Ampuis. Aswell as the bad and the ugly there was significant representation from the great and the good. In a strong show of viticultural "fraternite" growers were out in force, it was an impressive display.
I found some very good Rasteau, Lirac, Vacqueyras and Gigondas wines. It is clear that when carefully chosen these areas can offer wines of great character and exceptional value, though there is still too much inconsistency, perhaps this may have been a little exaggerated in a year like 2011 where less capable growers stuck out like saw thumbs. The vintage is also inconsistent in Chateauneuf and one that really separates the wheat from the chaff. Some wines can be just a little lacking and overly alcoholic whilst others were delightfully delicious already - well-balanced, fragrant and easy on the brain with enough structure and character to make them interesting, whilst not being too demanding. Thank goodness because 2009s and 2010s are intense and don't look like budging anywhere soon. The highlights of those I tasted last week were Pegau, Barroche, St Prefert and Vieux Telegraphe. It is a vintage that favours the North, certainly. However from the odd 2012 i tasted north and south of Montelimar, its seems that the situation is reversed a little. 2012 looks to be an excellent year in the Southern Rhone. It is certainly something to keep a close eye on.
The Northern Rhone provided a plethora of 2011 wines that gave immense pleasure. I would guess that a good 98% of top producers accross all of the appellations in the North turned up last week, it was a veritable Mecca for the Syrah lover. 2011 may not be a 2010 or 2009 but it offers a suave texture and openness that is rather unusual for young Northern Rhones, and whilst this suggests they will drink well young (good news) there is enough depth and complexity to suggest good medium term, 10 -12 year ageing potential. Hermitage provided some highlights, but this was trumped by Cornas. Hermitage may have exceptional terroir but Cornas is a haven for young and established wine-growing talent. There were 6 domaines that in my view produced excellent quality 2011s, more than in Hermitage, our own Domaine du Coulet and Thierry Allemand being two of them, not to mention the distinct but brilliant Clape wines, aswell as those of Vincent Paris, in addition to two other growers not on the Wine advocate radar who will remain nameless, don't want to be giving too much of the game away!
The Cote Rotie tasting was a roll call of the greatest names in the region, including Messrs Guigal and Jamet, and there were a clutch of impressive 2011s on show but it still remains a frustrating appellation, you really get the feeling that there is so much more potential than is being delivered. The bright star that outshone all others was without doubt Clusel Roch, these are wines that have equal measures of refinement, character, depth and lightness of touch. They strike the balance better than any.
Back to Britain through blizzards only to come back again to Burgundy yesterday , more in a few days.
I found some very good Rasteau, Lirac, Vacqueyras and Gigondas wines. It is clear that when carefully chosen these areas can offer wines of great character and exceptional value, though there is still too much inconsistency, perhaps this may have been a little exaggerated in a year like 2011 where less capable growers stuck out like saw thumbs. The vintage is also inconsistent in Chateauneuf and one that really separates the wheat from the chaff. Some wines can be just a little lacking and overly alcoholic whilst others were delightfully delicious already - well-balanced, fragrant and easy on the brain with enough structure and character to make them interesting, whilst not being too demanding. Thank goodness because 2009s and 2010s are intense and don't look like budging anywhere soon. The highlights of those I tasted last week were Pegau, Barroche, St Prefert and Vieux Telegraphe. It is a vintage that favours the North, certainly. However from the odd 2012 i tasted north and south of Montelimar, its seems that the situation is reversed a little. 2012 looks to be an excellent year in the Southern Rhone. It is certainly something to keep a close eye on.
The Northern Rhone provided a plethora of 2011 wines that gave immense pleasure. I would guess that a good 98% of top producers accross all of the appellations in the North turned up last week, it was a veritable Mecca for the Syrah lover. 2011 may not be a 2010 or 2009 but it offers a suave texture and openness that is rather unusual for young Northern Rhones, and whilst this suggests they will drink well young (good news) there is enough depth and complexity to suggest good medium term, 10 -12 year ageing potential. Hermitage provided some highlights, but this was trumped by Cornas. Hermitage may have exceptional terroir but Cornas is a haven for young and established wine-growing talent. There were 6 domaines that in my view produced excellent quality 2011s, more than in Hermitage, our own Domaine du Coulet and Thierry Allemand being two of them, not to mention the distinct but brilliant Clape wines, aswell as those of Vincent Paris, in addition to two other growers not on the Wine advocate radar who will remain nameless, don't want to be giving too much of the game away!
The Cote Rotie tasting was a roll call of the greatest names in the region, including Messrs Guigal and Jamet, and there were a clutch of impressive 2011s on show but it still remains a frustrating appellation, you really get the feeling that there is so much more potential than is being delivered. The bright star that outshone all others was without doubt Clusel Roch, these are wines that have equal measures of refinement, character, depth and lightness of touch. They strike the balance better than any.
Back to Britain through blizzards only to come back again to Burgundy yesterday , more in a few days.
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