We had above average winter rainfall and although we had a dry June, we recorded decent falls in July and August. Below average rainfall was recorded in spring, and we experienced some warm spring nights. Summer rain tally was also below average despite a wet December. McLaren Vale experienced warm a warm Autumn ripening period with low rainfall. Overall vintage in McLaren Vale produced wine of excellent quality and while total tonnages were down for the season, compared to a wet and fertile 2017, the reports from winemakers on wine quality has been almost universally positive.

Our Pinot Noir vineyard is the last of a dying breed in McLaren Vale. If you visited the Vale in the 1980’s you would have found a lot more vineyards dedicated to this variety. The grapes mainly supplied wineries with sparkling base to make bubbles. As the cooler regions developed in both SA and VIC, our region dedicated itself to Shiraz, and Cabernet to a lesser degree. Our Bradens vineyard is practically at sea level, and Pinotphiles amongst you will know full well that the higher the altitude and the colder the climate the better it is for Pinot Noir. However, we make our Pinot with a nod towards Beaujolais (made with Gamay, not Pinot however, just to confuse you) and aim for a fresh bright light and varietal style. We achieve this admirably by picking the Pinot a little leaner and fermenting a proportion of them anaerobically (carbonic maceration) which helps soften the tannins. The wine spends about 6 months in older oak.

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