Again, like 2018, the 2019 vintage got off to a slow start. Bud burst was first seen in early October. However, rainfall throughout winter and into early spring had been well below average. This meant we entered summer with little or no ground water, starting to irrigates almost straight away. Ironically an intense period of moist and cool conditions in November coincided with our fruit set period (“flowering”), having consequences for bunch weights and hence yield later in the season.

The dry conditions returned throughout the summer right up to harvest. Our irrigation system was under pressure the entire time. As a result we pumped the greatest volume of water into the vineyard in our history (yes, more than in 2009!). Ripening made slow progress, meaning tannins progressed ahead of sugars (which is unusual). Then in late February, Baumé advanced with a rush and the experience of 2016 was suddenly replicated.

We completed the harvest across the entire vineyard (except the Syrah) in a record 6 days. All hand picking operations and undertaken simultaneously in two blocks on several days to get the grapes off. Pressure in the wineries was intense with processing capacity at a premium; however, everyone and the wines survived intact and it was some relief to see the back of 2019 vintage with the Syrah on March 21.

Flavours in the winery were clean and fresh indicating good acidity while juice colour in the reds were more intense than our previous two vintages.

Harvest overall was to almost exactly the same time line as 2018, while the Syrah was picked about three weeks earlier.