Vintage Report 2012
The spring of 2011 started off cool and this weather prevailed for much of the rest of
2011.We were spared a lot of humidity which helped keep mildew at bay. As the year
progressed it was clear the harvest would be 3 to 4 weeks later than usual. But as is
often the case in the Paarl valley, we were struck by two intense heat waves which
pulled the harvesting dates back a bit. The heatwave decimated a lot of dryland
vineyards,but we were spared by the timely use of irrigation.
So we kicked off approximately two weeks late with chardonnay and just as we
thought we were on the go, we had to call a halt as the red varietals just weren’t
ripening. This in itself is a blessing as the slow ripening
intensifies the wines and allows them to ripen properly.
It was a strange year, which required the greatest of
patience. Although the weather leading up to the harvest
was mostly cool, which should normally aid colour
development, this was not the case with all the red
varietals.
So it was a year of curve balls, which required commitment, experience
and perspiration. The hard work has however paid off, and the wines are
looking good with lovely fruit expression.
The world's changing climate phenomenon looks set to stick
around, so we will have to continue working around it going
forward!
Cheers
Robert