Vintage 2008 Report

After escaping frosts in mid-October, the 2007-2008 growing season in Marlborough turned out be a warm and sunny one. Near perfect flowering weather led to great fruit-set across all varieties, especially the Sauvignon Blanc. March saw the hot days continue, but also the onset of cool nights which allowed for the vital retention of acid and aromas. Although heat, sunshine hours and rainfall were close to the annual average, rainfall during the latter part of the harvest posed some challenges.

Luckily, a majority of the Sauvignon Blanc was harvested from young vines which were ready to pick before the rain. Most fruit came in beautifully balanced, requiring little in the way of winemaking intervention. The harvest began slightly early and was rather condensed, but hard work by all the team paid off, and some great wines have been bottled as a result.

On Waiheke Island, calm weather during flowering again led to good, even fruit-set and slightly above average yields. However, after some hand-thinning in the vineyards, the crop levels were significantly reduced. A long, dry summer provided the right conditions for ideal sugar and flavour development. The reduced yields also led to great concentration and flavour intensity, particularly in the Cabernet and Merlot.

This will definitely be a vintage to watch out for!