We had terrific winter and spring rains leading up to vintage 2017, a marked contrast to the previous year, proving once again if proof were needed, that every vintage is different. We had a cool early part to spring too, combined with the spring rain. Flowering was about 3 weeks later than the previous year which of course meant that vintage was 3 weeks later than normal, or as some old locals said sagely, back to the old normal. There was a very long and slow ripening period which is terrific for allowing grapes to develop their flavours. We had a pretty dry February March and April, once the spring rains finished in mid-January. Overall a late vintage with some incredibly promising reds and outstanding whites. As I type this, we have already bottled the 2017 Puritan Shiraz and the fruit and balance of this wine are outstanding, which augurs well for all of our other 2017 reds.

To get our Bosworth Savvy just the way we like it, Joch spends a bit of time tasting grapes in the vineyard. His mission is to pick them before they taste of pineapple. We aren’t looking for too many of the tropical notes that New Zealand SB’s specialises in, but subtle grassy and nettle-like characters to make a sophisticated and perhaps more food friendly SB. If Joch tastes the merest hint of the tropics, whammo, we pick them immediately. Another trick is night-picking (to keep the grapes cool) and a cool fermentation to protect the flavours. No time in oak for our Sauvignon Blanc either, although a few batches spend time ‘sur lie’ which means they get to lie around on the yeast lees (yeast cells and grape solids; part and parcel of fermentation) because this helps scavenge any lurking oxygen, and adds texture too. Oxygen is not this wine’s friend. Once through fermentation, and settled and clear, we bottle it.

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