Today we took the first sample of both Shiraz and Grenache grapes for the vintage.
It’s been a funny old lead in, not one that we’ve experienced before. The weather certainly knows how to keep life interesting and unpredictable!
After reasonable winter and spring rain during 2025, and a mild start to summer, recently we’ve been buffeted by heatwaves and dry conditions. Just 5mm of rain has fallen since December (82 days and counting).
Typically, with hot and dry conditions, we expect to see the vines race through veraison and develop a lot of sugar quickly. Perhaps because of the timing, perhaps because of the extreme heat, perhaps because of the overall crop load on the vines, this did not happen. The vines went into survival mode and sugars barely moved. The vines held on, they lost a lot of leaf, they sacrificed entire bunches of grapes to save the rest (something I’ve never seen before). With some mild weather and careful irrigation, they’ve come out of survival mode and they’re developing stacks of flavour.
So, today on the 19th of February – in some years, we’ve picked everything by now – I took the first sample.
Shiraz looks good. The canopy is thinning, but the fruit is ripening well. A few signs of bird damage is an early sign that the grapes are smelling and tasting sweet, otherwise the flying rats wouldn’t be here. The roof-mounted laser fights a losing battle every year; we just need it to HODOR a little longer.
The colour of the juice, another great indicator that we’re very near to harvest.
Grenache suffered windy conditions during flowering, with poor fruit set visible throughout the vineyard. Normally full, plump bunches are looking a little more gappy like an Englishman’s smile (I’m half English, I can say it). As expected, it’s a couple of Baumé degrees behind the Shiraz. What it lacks in sugar right now it makes up for in crunchy acidity and freshness.
With a big band of rain forecast for Sunday, across the Barossa we’re looking into our crystal balls and trying to figure out the plan of attack for next week. We’ve booked the hand pickers in to get some fruit off for rosé – they say we’ll be the first for the season. The floodgates – figuratively and perhaps literally by Sunday – are starting to buckle and the organised chaos of vintage is nearly upon us.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Happy Lunar New Year, and Happy Vintage Eve friends!