Vintage Summary 2007

The 2007 vintage was strongly affected by the cool spring weather with many frost events which fortunately we were able to successfully fight. While we can fight frosts, we can't do anything about the cool weather during flowering and the very cool December of 2006 affected the flowering and resulted in a smaller than average crop (around 25% down). Some very warm temperatures in early February resulted in signs of vine stress around the region but again the moderating platform provided by the organic and biodynamic viticultural programme minimised the affect on our vineyards. A warm and dry March combined with the lighter than normal crops and warmer than usual night time temperatures meant the fruit ripened easier and earlier than expected after such a cool start to the season. Harvest began at the end of March of small berried bunches with excellent ripeness. The 2007 Pinot Noirs are wines of unmatched concentration and rich complexity without losing any purity or finesse. They combine the ripeness of the 06's with the concentration of the 05's adding a certain extra magic that is unique to this vintage. In short we see them as landmark wines. 2007 was also a great vintage for Chardonnay and Riesling: intense flavours from the smaller crops and also crisp acidities adding to their vibrancy and minerality.