2020: The 2019/2020 growing season dealt significantly challenging conditions in our vineyards, and for the third year in a row a hot, windy November decimated crop levels. The 2019 calendar year was the driest on record for the Nuriootpa weather station, and this, in combination with consistent, dry wind, led to the lowest yields we have experienced for close to fifteen years. Fortunately, the hot summer broke early and a cooler than average February and March allowed us to craft some stunning wines.
2021: The 2020/2021 growing season delivered a much needed and deserved break from the hot and dry conditions that we encountered in the previous three harvests. Winter rain was bountiful and provided a full water profile in the vineyards at bud burst. This culminated in healthy canopies and crops that set slightly above average. Post November, the sky completely turned off the taps and while summer was dry, it wasn’t excessively hot, and the lush early canopy growth was sufficient to carry the fruit load through to harvest. In near perfect conditions, fruit flavour and ripeness developed early, allowing us to pick fruit with lower sugar and higher natural acidity than any time I can remember. The fruit was in immaculate condition in the winery, and the harvest ambled along without stress. The resulting wines have wonderful freshness, depth, and personality and 2021 will undoubtedly be held in high regard for many years to come.
2022: The 2021/2022 growing season continued our run of cool vintages, with bountiful spring rain and no days recorded above 37 degrees. These cool harvests allow us to create pure, energetic, balanced wines and give us the flexibility in the winery to schedule perfect picking dates and gentle, controlled maceration. There was one isolated but significant hailstorm that affected a narrow band of the Barossa on the 28th of October, which unfortunately smashed our home vineyard, as well as the Harold Vineyard in Eden Valley. All other sites remained unaffected, and the season delivered slightly below-average yields, healthy canopies, and perfectly ripe bunches. While I believe 2021 will be considered a higher quality harvest, the wines of 2022 are still exceptional in their own right, and will equally drink beautifully young and age with poise, balance, and refinement.
2023: The 2022/2023 growing period continued our run of cool vintages and near record rain, with 53 days of rain recorded in spring alone. This extended run of wet springs in combination with average yields had a noticeably positive effect on the health of vineyards throughout the Barossa. It is less advantageous to have rain during harvest and fortunately, the wet weather settled down during summer and we were met with warm but not hot conditions. We only experienced 13 days above 35 degrees and no days above 40 for the third year running. These cool harvests allow us to create pure, energetic, balanced wines and give us the flexibility in the winery to schedule perfect picking dates and gentle, controlled maceration. A late start to harvest ensured that we were picking in the cool of autumn, with the vast majority of fruit being received in April. Overall, a great harvest with excellent vineyard health and fruit condition.
2024: The 2023/2024 growing season began with a dry winter, which fed into Spring, culminating in a calendar year rainfall (2023) of just 326mm (75% of the average). Yields were again affected by frost and wind during flowering, which helped restrict bunch weights slightly and led to a more favourable fruit load to canopy balance. With lower yields and drier conditions, the fruit ripened quickly, and we began harvest on the 26th of February, exactly one month earlier than the previous year. In fact, with the exception of the late ripening Aglianico, we finished harvesting all blocks on the 23rd of March, which was earlier than we started harvest in 2023. Despite all this, the quality of the harvest was excellent, with these conditions providing distinctive personality and flair.
2025: Was a difficult and stressful year in the winery and the vineyards, with a number of extreme events dictating
winemaking decisions. 2024 began with a very dry start, with virtually no rain from February to June. However, decent rain in June and July corrected the deficit, until another dry spring reset our expectations. One of the most significant frost events I have seen occurred in September and wiped out our entire vineyard in Seppeltsfield, along with many other blocks throughout the Barossa. A daily record rain event on the 18th of October helped with the regrowth of effected vineyards, and this roller coaster ride of boom and bust would continue right through harvest. The combination of a number of heat waves and an extremely dry summer meant the harvest was a white-knuckle ride through to completion. It was a year that highlighted the importance of being a very small producer, and we made many small parcels of wine to provide us with a range of flavor profiles to blend with. The wines produced exceeded our expectations, and we have produced some wonderful parcels from a challenging season.