The first grapes of the season were harvested 8 February (Gewurtztraminer) - eight days earlier than last year, but in line with the norm for this farm.
The main characteristic of this harvest has been the small crop size - a direct result of the conditions leading up to harvest, from August last year.
Unseasonal warm weather in August caused early bud break. Growth was stunted by the cold snap experienced in September resulting in uneven budding. During flowering, in November, windy conditions prevailed, interfering with berry set. Although the leaf to bunch ratio was high, excessive vegetative growth was hindered by the dry conditions experienced in December and January.
The only variety that did not succumb to the wind was the Riesling - partly due to the sheltered location of the vineyard, the fact that it is particularly late ripening and berry set occurred after the worst of the wine and the fact that Riesling is more wind hardy or resistant that Pinot noir and Chardonnay.
The exciting news is that the quality of the grapes are good and that the colour and texture of the resulting juice is concentrated and flavoursome. The same goes for the Gewurtztraminer, which is more floral and perfumed than ever before. Humid conditions late February were ideal for the development of Botrytis cinerea in the Riesling blocks and the dry spell that followed the initial humidity was perfect for curtailing the development of sour rot. Never before has the Noble Rot Riesling harvest been so easy - one pick and one sorting only! (Compared to the average of three picks and three sorts). The most challenging proved to be the Sauvignon blanc - which comes in after the rest. This year the heat wave struck while half of it was still on the vine, so it all ripened at the same time and the 15 ton-a-day capacity of the cellar had to be stretched to take in 30 tons a day!
In summary, harvest 2010 was good, just a pity we have so little of it!
