The harvest for Marlborough was early, short, and sharp. We began on the 25th of February with some Pinot Blanc destined for sparkling wine which was our earliest pick date ever. The growing season gave us smaller crops, particularly for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. With settled weather over the harvest period, we were under no pressure and across the board we were able to pick at optimal ripeness. Although the sugars accumulated quickly during ripening, the acids were preserved and resulted in wines with great balance and vibrancy. Sauvignon Blanc from our 3 Marlborough vineyards all have concentration and freshness. The enticing tropical and citrusy smells of fermentation filled the winery and gave a hint at the wines they will become. Another highlight is our first Pinot Noir from our new vineyard on Brookby Road in the Omaka Valley. These wines are now resting in French oak barriques, and we are eager to see how the wines evolve during their élevage.
In April, our harvest focus shifted further south to our Trig Hill Vineyard in Bendigo. The season for this vineyard has been trickier and the conditions have been well managed by our team. The vines had great growth throughout the season and picking decisions will be key in matching the potential of the final quality of the wines. Our first pick included special parcels of Pinot Noir from our TnT and Rise & Shine blocks that were both destined to be fermented in an Amphora. We began this project to further understand these climats last year and are excited about the results. As with most seasons, our final pick was our Tempranillo, which arrived on the 29th of April.