Paul Dixon - Winemaker
"So far it looks like 2019 is shaping up to be another great vintage with the pleasurable warm/mild summer days and cool nights (I do say warm/mild but according to our vintage casual, Peter Macauley, 25-30⁰C is hot as he over from the U.K. to help out for 3 – 4 months).
The whites are holding their acid nicely while producing lovely flavour intensity. A few rain events around veraison helped the vines stay nicely hydrated ready for the coming harvest and minimising the need for irrigation. The biggest threat to the berries at this point of time is the lack of Marri blossom which keeps the birds away from the fruit.
We have completed our first pick of Pinot Noir for our sparkling base, which some people say doesn’t count as a start to vintage, but we have officially started. The analytical numbers were near on perfect for a sparkling. The juice is currently fermenting in nice cool conditions to retain the fresh clean characters and flavours. Hopefully by the end of the week we will have the Chardonnay portion of the sparkling base picked and pressed.hites are holding their acid nicely while producing lovely flavour intensity. A few rain events around veraison helped the vines stay nicely hydrated ready for the coming harvest and minimising the need for irrigation. The biggest threat to the berries at this point of time is the lack of Marri blossom which keeps the birds away from the fruit.
The most exciting part of this vintage is the fruit that we will be getting off our new vineyard. In the past the fruit from this vineyard has been sold to some of Margaret Rivers most reputable wineries which have received very highly regarded accolades for the wines made from this vineyard. Now it is all ours to play with.
The reds, at the moment, are just finishing veraison and it will be some time before they are even thought about being picked. With any luck the rains will hold off until late April/May when all the fruit is off and safe in the winery".