Balance to our normal working life starts to return as the harvest is now well complete. Most of the summer and harvest vineyard crew will return home or back to their studies with a few staying on for the winter pruning. The 2018 wines have all finished their fermentations and are now safely tucked away in barrel. After the very warm spring and summer Central Otago experienced, harvest started very early and was completed by March 20. February was cooler and wetter than usual which was fortuitous as it slowed down the pace of ripening which is important to build depth of fruit and complexity. At this early stage, the wines do not appear to be affected by the warm growing season and quality is very high.
The land is very much in a breathing-in phase after a long summer and autumn. Now is the time to allow the soil and vines to take stock and replenish their reserves for another year ahead. The compost that was made over the past 12 months is spread and turned into the soil to enhance and nourish our valuable microbes. Some winter cover crops are drilled to look after the soil for the harsh winter ahead. New compost is made with the grape skins and stalks leftover from the recent vintage along with green crops we grow on spare land and other organic waste gathered up from around the vineyard and winery. The full time staff take a well-deserved short break from the vineyard to recharge their batteries and get their minds and bodies ready for the winter ahead.
The first of the 2017 Pinot Noirs (Bannockburn, Cornish Point and Block 3) are released at the end of the month along with the 2017 Bannockburn Chardonnay. Winter is fast approaching in Central Otago with thoughts of skiing, curling and a glass of fine Pinot by the fire!
