Vintage 2010

At the time of writing, we are half way through vintage with about 1000 tonnes crushed. It is turning out to be a remarkably early vintage. Right from the start of the season, timing was unusual – normally it’s late September before the buds burst on the white varieties, then the reds. But this year Merlot burst before Chardonnay, and Shiraz was well ahead of normal.

And here we are, just into March, with most of the whites harvested and we’re making a start on the reds. So this puts us about two weeks ahead of the recent years, and we thought they were early!
But no complaints, the vineyards are in top condition and giving us fruit with intense flavour. We think prevailing temperatures have been spot on (low to mid 20’s) to let the vines accumulate sugar and develop colour and flavour, without too many of the hot days which just
make sugar.

This weekend I get into the important business of making wine with the kids. 5YO Ed Plunkett is keen to make a sweet red with oak after his successful one bottle vintage of red last year, and 9YO Felix wants to try his hand at a white this year.  Apart from the two bottles of kid’s wine, we have a few fun and challenging projects on the boil this year…

We brought in two different four tonne parcels of low sugar Riesling to see if we could make a low alcohol, highly aromatic wine with some residual sugar to balance the acid from the relatively unripe fruit. In truth, at this stage it looks like we’ll struggle with the ‘green’ acid overpowering any pretty flavours – but fun to try!

In a couple of weeks we’ll pick some Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon growing close to gum trees and see if it makes a Eucalypt/minty wine.

Finally, there will be some foot crushing action on a parcel of very ripe hand-picked Shiraz aimed at our flagship wine The Rule.

Exclusive Wine Club Members offer... Give me a call (0408 587702) if you feel like being a winery slave for the day!  In fact, if you are up this way any time before May, give me a call and I’ll show you around the winery while all the action is happening. I think wine makes so much more sense if you’ve seen the machines and activity which go into making good wine!

Sam Plunkett