MAY 2008

We have been delighted with the response as we have started introducing our wines to restaurateurs and the public over the last 3 months.

A great example was the Sydney Cellar Door tasting in Hyde Park as part of New South Wales Wine Week. With over 100 wineries to choose from, and not many people knowing who we are, we could have been overlooked, but we were one of the busiest with over 600 people paying to taste our wines in a little over 5 hours! Apparently some early tasters were impressed and spread the word and the whole thing snowballed from there.

The response from restaurants has also been fantastic and we are now one of the best represented wineries on wine lists in the Southern Highlands. Now for Sydney and beyond!

Vintage Report 2008

In 2008, the vines recovered well from the frosts and dry conditions of the 2007 vintage with good soil moisture and a frost-free budburst. An even budburst occurred in all varieties.

Spring conditions were moderate ensuring excellent flowering and fruit-set. Rain throughout the season ensured good vine growth with very little need for watering. A cold period during December saw the vines slowdown and the lighting of the fire on Christmas day! With this cold snap a later harvest was predicted, however above average temperatures during February and March saw one of the earliest vintages experienced at “Yaraandoo”.

Riesling was harvested on the 13th March at 11.2 Baume. The fruit displayed lemon and lime characters with good acidity. The Arneis followed close behind, being harvested on the 14th March at 12.3 Baume.  This variety can ripen very quickly towards the end of the season. The ripeness was closely monitored and picked with a good balance of fruit and acid.

The two clones of Pinot Noir, MV6 and 115, were picked from 28th to 31st March. Similar to Arneis, over ripe flavours are not desirable in this variety. The Pinot Noir was picked at 13.0 Baume. The warm end to the season ensured adequate ripeness in the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot was picked 12th April and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked on 18th April. Both these varieties were picked at 13.3 Baume.

Our first vintage of a botrytis Riesling was picked on 11th April at 17.7 Baume. The fruit displayed the richness of a botrytis wine although we were pleased to see the acid of a cool climate Riesling was still present.

All in all, another good vintage with some good results from pruning and canopy management trials in the vineyard.

Paul Quirico – Estate Manager