2020 will be remembered for many reasons. We are confident that the fine wines made here in Marlborough will be one of the more positive of them!
Cooler weather during bud initiation in the spring of 2019 meant we had lower bunch numbers going in to flowering. Perfect weather over flowering produced unprecedented berry numbers and resulted in serious bunch crowding. Fortunately, the driest summer on record then suppressed the berry growth. By harvest time, berry size was small to moderate, this has given the reds good colour and substantial structure. Late summer brought Marlborough's trademark cooler nights, that are so important to our aromatic qualities and retention of acidity. 2020 was one of the easiest and least stressful of all the harvests I’ve seen in Marlborough…..if it wasn’t for COVID-19!
The introduction of a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus coincided with the beginning of our harvest. There was a very real possibility that the industry would face a shut-down, preventing us from harvesting our fruit. Our vineyard and winery teams moved incredibly fast to adhere to the very strict distancing and hygiene protocols to allow us to continue to operate. Now we have harvested the last parcels of grapes, we are able to relax a little. We look forward to sharing our 2020 wines, and their unique story, with you soon.
Matt Thomson, Consultant Winemaker
