Damien Sheehan

Western Victoria

In Western Victoria this has been first really busy week with most early whites now coming in and finishing with Riesling next week. Whites are only 10-15% of the crush here. Reds still a few weeks away.
Rain last week was not welcome but looking forward to more settled conditions over the coming fortnight.

Liz Riley

Hunter

V22 is done and dusted (well maybe damp rather than dusted with all of the water around) in the Hunter.
La Nina ramped up the wet conditions moved in as the reds were getting close which added a level of challenge and complexity to harvest. There were a few breaks in the weather and surge picking occurred to bring in Shiraz, with some sites hand picked as access became an issue. We are very thankful that we didn’t received the rainfall expereicend up on the North Coast and our throughts go out to those communities. There has been some local flooding around Broke this week but all are safe and well, and crops are off.
 
Across the rest of NSW Gundagai and the Central Ranges are in full swing with reds now pouring off and Mudgee is progressing well with whites complete and reds underway. Ripening is slower than normal in Mudgee relfecting the mild conditions.
 
Tumbarumba, Hilltops and Orange are just kicking off with some sparkling base and early dry whites expected to start in Mid March. Murumbateman is also looking at a mid to late March start. Some super fruit in all regions who have grappled with a tough season

 

 
 

Central Ranges

Picking whites throughout the end of Feb with great quality as a result of cooler ripening conditions.  Rain at the beginning of this month put a hold on reds- but as it dries out what is left will come in by the end of the month.  Overall a good season, depsite challenges with early rain and disease pressure on canopies. 

 

Orange

A cool wet spring and summer have kept growers on their toes.  We enjoyed some warmer weeks throughout February however a return on heavy rains at the beginning of March has held off picking.
Sparkling bases and some white will start to trickle in this week at lower elevations.  A late season - if we are able to hold onto the sunshine it will be a cracker.  

Steve Faulkner

Yarra Valley

The Yarra Valley is in full swing of vintage 2022. November was the wettest on record which has played parts in decreased yields seen across the valley especially in pinot noir. Other varieties have also been reduced in quantity. Later flowering varieties such as cabernet and shiraz are yielding a good average crop.

Ripening has been a nice slow progression due to cold nights and warm days. Harvest has been interrupted a few times by the weather, and labour interrupted by covid.

Lower yields particularly for Pinot Noir help with quality, so while pinot noir 2022 may be in reduced amounts quality will be very high. Chardonnay is looking magnificent with the cold nights maintaining excellent acidity

 

Swan Valley

Quite warm and very dry conditions through January and February saw ripening come along very quickly in the Swan Valley. It was a season of polar opposites with our wettest October on record followed by the hottest summer recorded. Despite a start to vintage that was later than recent years the harvest is virtually complete in the first week of March. A distinct lack of moisture has meant that fruit came off very clean and provided perfect conditions for the ripening of fruit destined for fortified production. 

Matty Trent

Verdelho for fortified around 19 Baume

Irrigation leak located!

February 2022

 

Margaret River

Colin BellThe Margaret River growing season has had two distinct dipoles. A cool, wet spring that felt like a long extension of winter that ran headfirst into a blockbuster summer. With under two weeks of summer to go and the forecasted maximum temperatures not dropping below 30 degrees Celsius, it will be a summer to break a few records. Chardonnay vintage kicked off widely in the second week of February, and the next two weeks will be crazy busy. Fruit across the board is showing excellent physiological ripeness at low Baume’s.
 

 

Hunter Valley

 

Liz RileyThe Hunter is well into V22 with harvest commencing in mid to late January with a return to more traditional timing than the last few years. White tonnages are generally up 20-30% on estimate and are looking solid after a very lush season.
Vintage has been progressing steadily and conditions have generally been good - although we have lurched from gum boots to sunscreen and irrigating ! Reds are beginning to trickle in.
 

Granite Belt

Mike HayesGood steady rain fell throughout the spring, bringing much needed relief to the region. The summer temperatures throughout January fell to the low teens overnight with daytime temperatures not exceeding 28 o C. I personally haven`t seen this for nearly 40 years. The whites are reaching physiological ripeness in the mid 12 Be` recordings and look sensational. We will have a break now before we start the reds with a start date of late March. So far a very high 8.5/10. 
 

April 2021

 
John Duval

BAROSSA

This week sees us heading into the final stages of vintage here in the Barossa with just one Mataro vineyard on the valley floor left to pick. With warm sunny days and cooler nights over the last few weeks resulting in ideal ripening conditions the region is buzzing with happy winemakers and grape growers alike.

This last fortnight has seen the arrival in the winery of our much prized Centenarian Vine Mataro from Lights Pass, the great news is that yields are higher than last year and the wine is looking fantastic. As ever, Eden Valley plays an important part in the DNA of our wines, we finished picking in Eden Valley just before Easter and the Shiraz from Mt McKenzie and Grenache from Stonegarden/Springton is looking fantastic.

 

Matty Trent

SWAN VALLEY:

We harvested the last of our Swan Valley fruit on March 8, Verdelho at 19.8Be destined for fortification.
Fruit has continued to trickle in from the southern regions, with cool weather really slowing ripening.

For blocks that have remained clean the quality has been exceptional.

The noticeably cooler evenings as the season changes coupled with widespread heavy rains forecast for the second week of April there will be a mad rush to get the last remaining blocks picked.

Nadja Wallington

 

ORANGE:

A cool and wet season with low yields.  Early some great quality across white varieties and early ripening reds. Challenges came with heavy rain falls late in March. Higher elevations struggling to get later ripening reds off.

CENTERAL RANGES:

A mild season with long ripening period.  Whilst yields were reduced quality across the board was high.  Minimal disease pressure despite rainfall during ripening. 

  

March 2021

 
Matty Trent

SWAN VALLEY:

By the end of February the only varieties left on the vine were those destined for fortified production, expecting to be picked early in March.
Relatively mild conditions meant that the 2021 harvest was very compressed and saw wineries having a bit of time to catch their breath before fruit started to arrive from the southern regions.
Some heavy rain and persistent drizzle combined with cooler weather saw the states more southerly regions ripen quite slowly. This has really tested out the viticultural practices of managers throughout.

Matty Trent, Nikola Estate & Oakover Wines

Old vine Ebenezer Shiraz

BAROSSA

In the last fortnight vintage has really kicked into gear. After starting with Shiraz in Krondorf just south of Tanunda, we have worked our way through most of our Barossa Valley Shiraz vineyards, with this week seeing very old vine Ebenezer shiraz filling the winery with amazing aroma and vibrant colour.  We also have the main components of our Plexus white blend happily fermenting at the winery. Part of the Marsanne component of the blend has just gone to some new oak to finish off and help build texture.


Eden Valley vineyards are coming along nicely with ripening somewhat slowed by cooler overnight temperatures that we have experienced this last week. The mild but sunny conditions have been perfect, allowing flavour to build slowly but surely. With good conditions forecast next week we’ll look to make a start on the first of our Barossa Valley Grenache with Mataro still a few weeks away but already shaping up as a one to watch for V21.

Tim Duval,  John Duval Wines

  

February 2021

 

New South Wales

 

Hunter Valley

After significant rainfall in December and early January the Hunter commenced harvest in early January with Chardonnay and Verdelho, which was closely followed by Semillon. Early Shiraz began coming in early February with approx 30-40% in to date. Fruit quality is very good with high natural acid levels in whites. A refreshing start to 2021.


Liz Riley, Hunter Valley

Orange

A cool season has delayed harvest by up to two weeks from previous years.
High rainfall in December put pressure on vineyards- we were fortunate to catch a break in January with a few dry warm weeks. February has been cool with a return of rain.  
Proactive approach in the vineyard is vital to staying ahead of disease pressure. Currently fruit is holding together well, with reduced crops on the back of the drought years.
Growers are hoping for dry, warm weather for the harvest as it unfolds.

Nadja Wallington, Philip Shaw Wines

ACT

 

Murrumbateman

Canberra growers have put a lot of effort in their vineyards after losing V20, so despite the rain and disease pressure the fruit is looking healthy.
Vineyard management practices including hedging, leaf plucking, fruit thinning and biological sprays have been used this year to help limit disease growth.
Growers are closely watching the long-range forecast and are hoping for dry weather over the final ripening period.

Campbell Meeks, Four Winds Vineyard

South Australia

 
 

Barossa

Vintage 2021 is just around the corner here in the Barossa. The region did receive some much-anticipated replenishing rainfalls in late winter and spring last year. With better rain and cooler La-Nina conditions there is cause for some excitement within the region’s winemakers and grape growers.
 
Veraison amongst our Shiraz vines began on the Barossa Valley floor in mid-January and harvest is looking likely to commence in our southern Tanunda Shiraz in mid-February. In the higher and cooler Eden Valley the grapes are tracking along several weeks behind the Barossa Valley floor. We are hoping for some better yields this year, in particular from Eden Valley, after several vintages of lower volumes. Shiraz from the cooler vineyards of the region is an important element in our style.
 
It is also heartening to see some great fruit set on our centenarian vine Mataro after frost impacts and miniscule yields for the last few vintages. This vineyard is entirely dry grown on sandy soils, so is reliant upon good spring rain to ensure a good crop each year.

John Duval Wines

Western Australia

 

Swan Valley

A warm December hurried along the ripening process after an unusually cool and wet November, and harvest was in full swing by the second week in January. White varieties including Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Verdelho and Chardonnay all being picked through this time. Such was the growing season that we also saw the first of the dry grown Grenache reach full maturity and be picked around this time. Some shiraz had also started to appear in the wineries by the end of the month. We are expecting the region to be pretty much wrapped up by the end of February, with wineries now waiting on fruit to come in from the more southern regions.


Matty Trent Nikola Estate and Oakover Wines