Coming off a difficult and low yielding vintage in 2007 our vines were progressing well despite the low moisture levels from the winter rains.

The month of February produced unseasonably cool to mild conditions which allowed for slow even ripening of the grapes.  Of course with the continuing dry conditions we were once again heading for an early vintage - four weeks early to be precise! 

Our Shiraz, Semillon and Riesling were harvested prior to the record breaking heat wave that saw temperatures above 35°C for 16 consecutive days.  Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were the two varieties that suffered the most due to extreme heat and moisture levels that could not be maintained sufficiently to stop the berries from shriveling.

Another consequence of the extreme heat was the rapid increase in báume levels early in the season, resulting in the grapes being sugar ripe but not flavour ripe.  Of course we left the grapes on the vines a little longer to hold out for the flavour.

Generally speaking the 2008 vintage was a tale of two; grapes harvested prior to the heat wave and those harvested after.  We are excited to see what the future holds for these vintages when they are released.