Vintage Reports

Vintage 2009

The extreme weather conditions proved to be a significant factor in 2009. After pleasing average winter rains, spring was one of the driest on record with only 49mm of rain, 41mm of which fell in November. Timely rain provided some relief with 25mm at pre-flowering in November and 65mm post fruit set in December. Cooler temperatures had the vines in good health leading up to the Christmas break. The inevitable heat at Heathcote eventually came with above average temperatures in January, February and March and little rain. The extreme weather that affected parts of Victoria and South Australia and contributed to the devastating Black Saturday Bushfires also made its mark at Heathcote Estate. This included thirteen successive days above 35°C, seven of which were above 40°C. It was a tough time!!!

Watering occurred on a regular basis to help alleviate vine stress but unfortunately a lack of water due to the continuing drought, windy weather and prolonged heat caused some vines to loose leaf and momentarily shutdown. Historically, the vineyard is watered minimally and as such the vines are quite drought tolerant and on a whole were able to endure the extreme weather conditions well. The Australian Sprawl canopy (no foliage wires) provided shade and cover for the fruit from direct sunlight. The fruit looked in good condition, despite some shrivelling on the western side of the canopy that is exposed to the afternoon sun.

Harvest commenced on the 25 February and finished on the 6 March. Selective hand picking was undertaken to preserve the best parcels of fruit. Due to the prolonged heat endured this season, estimated yields were down 15 to 20 per cent for shiraz and 75 per cent for grenache after rigorous bunch selection at picking. The shiraz parcels again stood out with more defined structure, aromatics and tannin.

Vintage 2008

Average autumn rain in 2007 gave way to a dryer than normal winter and spring. The warm spring, combined with timely early rain, saw excellent flowering and eventual fruit set. These ideal growing conditions meant that shoot growth was more vigorous than normal. Shoot and fruit thinning was necessary on the Spanish varietal grenache to alleviate over cropping and a crowded fruiting zone, in turn enabling even maturity. Fruit thinning was also required in some blocks of shiraz and viognier. Rain at pre-bunch closure and veraison set the vines up nicely for ripening. With a cooler than average February, vine stress was kept to a minimum and ultimately allowed the fruit to be picked at night in excellent conditions. Once again, fruit of excellent colour, flavour and natural acid was produced. Harvest timing was very similar to 2007 with the last fruit harvested on 5 March 2008. Due to the early fruit maturity at Heathcote Estate Vineyard, harvest was completed prior to the extreme heat wave that was experienced throughout South Eastern Australia in early March. Early flavour assessments at the winery suggest that this could be an exceptional year for shiraz.

Vintage 2007

While Heathcote received some steady autumn rain in the months of April and May 2006, June was one of the driest and coldest on record. Above average rainfall in July brought some relief to the very low water storages, however the dry spell continued throughout spring, with warm days, clear skies and very cool nights. The clear skies during the day resulted in regular heavy frosts throughout October and November which caused extensive damage in many regions around South Eastern Australia. The Heathcote region was no exception and the Heathcote Estate Vineyard was hit by frost on five acres of shiraz. Thankfully, this resulted in minimal frost damage compared to others in the region. The warm spring weather created ample shoot growth and even flowering but fruit set was a little sparse due to the dry conditions. With little relief during the summer, supplementary irrigation was used in the vineyard to alleviate potential vine stress during ripening. This enabled the vines to maintain leaf function and ripen the season’s low yielding crop. The trying season produced a lighter crop load and with constant hot weather during ripening, this resulted in an earlier harvest yet again. Vintage at Heathcote Estate commenced on 17 February with the last fruit harvested on 5 March. The berries were small and the fruit had very good colour, flavour and tannin.

Vintage 2006

Another relatively dry winter meant that water storages were low, and that timely water applications would be of critical importance later in the season. Some spring rains and above average temperatures early in the growing season assisted in an even budburst and excellent shoot growth development, enabling fruit to ripen effectively. Using mulch under the vine maintained soil moisture and assisted in achieving an even flowering and good fruit set. The dry, warm and windy conditions in the growing season allowed for little or no disease. January was a very warm month with several days over 40°C. This was excellent for sugar and led to great phenolic development. Welcome rain early in February enabled the lightly cropped vines to maintain leaf area through to vintage. Optimal berry and bunch size combined with even bunch maturity created fruit of intense flavour in the vineyard. It looks like a vintage to watch with the winemakers pleased with fruit quality and early flavour assessment.