This is a most unusual season – with vines growing at an enormous rate and requiring additional labour to keep them “under control”. A wetter and cooler spring and early summer meant we have barely started irrigating and the vines look very healthy with powerful canopies. Weather conditions at flowering were somewhat fickle – showers and cool overcast days interspersed with the occasional warm sunny days has resulted in an average fruit set with the anticipated “hen and chicken” berries showing up in many vine blocks. This will mean these strong canopied vines will have more than enough ripening “power” to see some excellent quality fruit coming off and maybe a slightly earlier finish to vintage. Right now we are scrambling to get the bird protection nets on pretty quickly!
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