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Heathcote Vintage Ratings at a glance.
Source: www.nicks.com.au
Graph ©Copyright Vintage Direct 2003
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2006 Vintage Report
The beginning of the growing season through spring had mild days and cool nights, with the odd frost during September. Rainfall was generally patchy, except for a damp second half of October. Overall these conditions resulted in excellent canopy development and health. The first week in December was wet but the temperature climbed slowly to the low 30’s by the New Year.
January was generally a very warm month with several days well into the 40’s. Overall the season was windy which helped keep disease incidence to a minimum. The warmer weather in the latter half of December and for most of January was excellent for sugar and led to great phenolic development. The dry warm weather of February and early March finished off the fruit’s ripening perfectly.
Source: http://www.twohandswines.com
2005 Vintage Report
The 2005 vintage began with a thoroughly wet soil profile as a result of good winter rainfall. However, those of us who rely on our dams for irrigation were left unimpressed by the lack of run-off these rains produced. The months of September into November offered average temperatures and rainfall resulting in good shoot growth and healthy flowering-the perfect powdery mildew conditions the only threat at this time.
During fruit set and up to verasion conditions returned to what we have become accustomed, extremely dry. Many of the grapegrowers who either do not have irrigation or are limited to less than four to five small irrigations a year experienced early and moderate to severe leaf loss as a result of water stress into January. In the first week of February more than 50 mm of rain set these vineyards up for a great finale, coming just after fruit set, so as not to permanently affect berry size and helping the vines through verasion. The only negative was reports of a small amount of berry splitting and a powdery mildew threat.
In contrast to the previous vintage in which hot weather was followed by more hot weather, most growers found this vintage to be cooler especially during ripening. As a result of cooler days and cooler nights the consensus was that this vintage was one of the best in years. At harvest there were reports of great flavor development in partnership with very ripe fruit and particularly good acidity. There were a couple of vineyards that were casualties of too much stress but most were over the moon.
Source: http://www.winebiz.com.au
2004 Vintage Report
2004 was a good vintage across the Heathcote region. The growing season experienced the best winter and spring rains for the last three years considering the prolonged drought conditions. A dry summer and autumn with strong winds was experienced in parts of the region resulting in non-irrigated vineyards suffered from stress.
Vintage was later than normal with picking times varying from early-March through to mid-April. The fruit was clean, in good health, and well ripened. The wines showed desirable colour levels and firm natural acidity yet were softer than some previous vintages, with many exhibiting a rich middle palate.
Previous Vintage Reports...
The season delivered good winter rain and generous Spring/Summer/Autumn
ripening conditions. It was a perfect vintage producing a moderate sized
crop.
A tough year. Drought conditions, no winter rains and blistering summer
heat. This year, vineyards had to contend with the weather, a small
crop and over-ripe fruit due to rapid ripening in the extended heat
wave conditions.
A wet year producing a large crop.
An excellent year. A very good growing season, good winter rains and
generous ripening weather.
Fair winter rain followed by no rain at all during the growing season.
The excellent ripening conditions produced a moderate sized crop of
excellent quality.
Very low rainfall resulted in a greatly reduced crop - down to less
than quarter tonne per acre in some areas.
An excellent vintage.
A very dry winter, followed by a hot summer resulting in a moderate
size crop.
A good growing season that failed to finish off as it started at vintage.
A moderate crop with less flavour intensity than normal.
Good winter rains, a dry summer and very good ripening conditions delivered
an excellent, moderate size crop.
The vintage was saved by 100 mm of rain in January after an extremely
dry season. Without this rain, 2001 would have had severely stressed
vines and a very small crop.
A surprising year in that crops throughout the Heathcote region were
well down - to as little as 25percent in some vineyards. The wines are
powerful, full bodied and high in alcohol.
In the grip of a drought, to the extent that some of the dry-land vineyards
had pitifully small yields. The vines were pruned for small crops resulting
in concentrated powerful wines.
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Source:- John Ellis, Hanging Rock Winery, "A
Story of A Great Australian Shiraz".
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