Vintage Report 2010
Paul Quirico - Viticulturist
Written by Paul Quirico
The 2010 vintage started off in a hurry with warm temperatures in Spring. Slighter earlier budburst dates than normal was experienced, indicating that an early harvest date might be possible.
The dry conditions in Spring and early Summer saw supplementary watering being used during this period. This additional watering was aided by the recent upgrade of the irrigation system, with modifications being made to remove excess iron from the water. Watering continued until after Christmas when good rainfall occurred in January and early February.
The weather conditions at flowering were excellent with warm, dry and still days. Harvest was interrupted initially by rain but for the majority of this period, saw dry weather.
Similarly to 2009, yields were down from the average. This reduction in yield was experienced by most vineyards around the country. Smaller bunch weights and lower bunch numbers contributed to this yield reduction.
As previously mentioned, rain was experienced during January and February which proved problematic for some varieties. At Bluemetal, we have strict parameters on the quality of the fruit produced. For this reason, our Petit Verdot and Merlot were not picked. The rainfall we experienced in January and February was too much for these varieties.
Although hugely disappointing, we feel if we cannot produce an excellent quality wine, we simply will not pick the fruit. Conversely, the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Cabernet Sauvignon survived the rain and has produced excellent fruit this vintage.
The Sauvignon Blanc was picked on the 11th and 12th March at 11.5 Baume. The fruit displayed herbaceous characters with some tropical flavours evident. This early picking date coincided with the early budburst date by approximately 2 weeks.
Next to pick was the Pinot Gris on 9th April at a ripe 12.9 Baume. Similar to last vintage, the fruit flavours displayed a true intense Pinot Gris style. Again yields were down with this variety, however the quality of the fruit was excellent. The Cabernet Sauvignon was picked on 17th April at 12.8 Baume. The fruit displayed the elegance of typical cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon – berries, slightly minty.
Although I am disappointed with only harvesting half the fruit this vintage, I am happy with the fruit we did pick.
Vintage Report 2009
Written by Paul Quirico
In general, yields were down by 30-50% due to a decrease in bunch weight size, however the quality is one of the best I have experienced at Bluemetal Vineyard.
The Sauvignon Blanc was picked in two batches on 24th and 28th March at 12.5 and 13.5 Baume. Picking at this range of Baume saw flavours range from herbaceous to tropical.
Next to pick was the Pinot Gris on 9th April at a very ripe 13.9 Baume. The fruit flavours displayed a true intense Pinot Gris style. The bunches were extremely small – only 59 gram average compared to 95 gram last year.
The Petit Verdot and Merlot were picked next on 17th April at 12.7 and 13.4 Baume respectively. Both these batches of fruit showed excellent varietal characters and again with the bunch weights down by approximately 50%.
The Cabernet Sauvignon was picked on 29th at a record 14.2 Baume. At this ripeness, a truly rich and powerful wine can be made. The bunch weights were again down compared to the average with very small berries. The small berries contribute to the intensity of flavour. Although the fruit was picked at very ripe sugar levels, a cool climate elegance fruit flavour was still evident.
Last to pick was the Sangiovese on 1st May at 12.6 Baume. This fruit again displayed the elegance of cool climate fruit production, with subtle berry flavours showing in the fruit.