Season Overview 2010

Many will remember the winter of 09 being like the ‘good old days’, cold, wet and long. Great if snow skiing is your game but not much fun for pruning. Plenty of cold frosty mornings as well which aid in reducing grapevine pest pressure during the growing season.
Spring was slow in getting underway with lower ground temperatures. There were several minor frost events on the Spy Valley vineyards, all of which were battled and appropriately subdued. Cooler temperatures followed through to Christmas and flowering was about two weeks behind average and somewhat variable. Marlborough finally decided to warm up and January, February were very good months with abundant sunshine and good warm temperatures.
Lower than average rainfall and continued warm temperatures advanced fruit ripening and harvest started mid March with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for our Methode Traditionelle. Just when it looked like we were to be avalanched by the rapidly ripening fruit, the weather cooled allowing slower ripening and the resulting benefits to flavour development and acid retention.
Harvest passed without drama and grapes were picked clean, ripe, full of flavour and, good for the region, slightly below volume estimates.
Standout varieties at the early stage of fermentation are Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.