2007 Vintage Report

We were all glad when the last grapes were picked. What a year!
It started with the worst drought on record. Our reliable winter rains didn't come, so we started the season for the first time with irrigation from budburst.
The season got well underway when we got hit with frost. It was actually wind chill, cold air around –2 degrees blew through the vinyard and burnt the top half of most of the shoots. Luckily this was prior to flowering so the effect on crop was not too bad.
The shoots re-shot and we were underway again, and the season progressed well.
The crop this year was one of the best we have had for the past 3 years, we felt a bit embarrassed as all the talk across the wine industry was of the devastating drought and complete failure in some areas.
We picked all the white varieties much earlier than usual, as the flavours seemed to be developing early and we are trying to make wines with lower alcohol levels, rain events were also predicted.
Once the whites were picked the rain abated and the reds had a nice dry finish, these were also picked earlier than usual, helping to reduce alcohol levels.

So what are they like!
The Pinot Gris was made using 100% free run juice, and is ultra clean and bright, with flavours of new season pink lady apples. It was just selected as one of the TOP 40 NSW WINES so we are excited about this wine as it was still a bit bottle shocked.

We made a new Chardonnay called Niks Folly, which is really interesting, we picked it early to try and make a wine that was tight and dry. At 12.4 % ALC/VOL this is a great summer wine, served nice and cold it goes well with delicate seafood dishes and is especially good with Japanese food.

The Sauvignon Blanc has only just been bottled and is still revealing itself, at 12.8%ALC/VOL this is also a great summer drinking wine. The palate is really crisp and zingy, with the usual lime and passion notes, probably more citrus than tropical this year, it has a really long dry finish.

The Riesling was bottled the same day as the Savvy so it is also a bit bottle shocked, there is some lovely limey citrus notes that sit with more floral and almost talc like characters. At 12.8%ALC/VOL down from last years 14% once again we have a lighter brighter style that will companion seafood’s and Asian foods. This one if it lasts could age well.

The reds are still in barrel.