2016 VINTAGE REPORT Debbie Lauritz SENIOR WINEMAKER Marty Gransden VITICULTURALIST MEDIA RELEASE: APRIL, 2016
THE VINEYARD Good winter rainfall filled the dams and filled the soil moisture profile leading to a very promising start to the 2015-2016 growing season. The Cumulus vineyard got off to an early start with budburst occurring one week earlier than average in most varieties. The vineyard protective budburst sprays started on 21 st September. Mild conditions (and no frost), with light rain led to good soil moisture. The entire vineyard had a very even budburst the best the vineyard has ever seen. Warm and dry conditions continued throughout October with a light rainfall - only 20mm. We had above average temperatures for this time of year, which led to the soil starting to dry out. The vineyard started irrigating quite early in the season. In November we had cooler conditions, and the vineyard received 123mm of rain which replenished the soil moisture. This took the pressure off the irrigation, with ideal conditions for veraison. The cooler conditions continued throughout December with 50mm of rain which topped up the soil moisture, reducing irrigation requirements. Warmer conditions prevailed in January and February, with minimal disease pressure. We started harvest very early on 26th January (Australia Day) before we then had 98mm of rainfall, with the majority of rain falling in the last week of the month. February continued with above average temperatures for the month, with no rainfall or disease pressure, ripening accelerated quickly. Another month of above average temperatures in March led to perfect conditions to harvest with no rain. Harvest finished 11 th March, before 45mm of rain fell later in the month. In summary, a great start to the growing season with good soil moisture and even budburst across the whole vineyard. As harvest commenced, minimal disease pressure due to minimal rain. Warm conditions in February and March with above average temperatures meant that all red varieties ripened up quickly. Moderate crop load across the vineyard with an average of 7.4 tonne / ha. PAGE TWO
CHARDONNAY The first variety we started picking on 26 th Jan (no Australia Day off this year for the team!) We picked 3 chardonnay blocks for our sparkling wines nice and early with high acidity and fresh flavours. Harvest then stopped for a few days due to rain in late January, allowing the fruit a couple of days to dry out and keep ripening. Harvesting began again on 4 th February with some hand picking from block 14B for our Cumulus Chardonnay flagship wine. Chardonnay continued to be picked until 19 th February, ensuring we had riper material. Flavours varied from earlier blocks with citrus fruit through to the later blocks with stone fruit and tropical fruit notes. Average of 8.7 t / ha for Chardonnay PINOT GRIGIO / PINOT GRIS The team started harvesting on 6 th February, the earlier picks being crisp fruit, good natural acidity, green apple and pear flavours. We completed the harvest on 15 th February, later picks having more fruit weight and riper pear flavours. Average of 6.9 t / ha for Grigio / Gris. SAUVIGNON BLANC The team picked an early block on 3 rd February with grassy herbaceous characters. The remaining fruit picked in middle of February being riper with passionfruit and tropical fruit notes. Average of 8.2 t / ha for Sauvignon Blanc. SEMILLON The last of the whites to be picked (on 23 rd February) allowed the Semillon to get to the riper spectrum of fruit. Average 8.8 t / ha for Semillon. PAGE THREE
Overall, all white varieties had very balanced canopies, with lots of leaf cover and no disease pressure. Ripening progressed moderately. Lovely varietal flavours, ripe fruit characters and balanced natural acidity. SHIRAZ The first of the reds was picked on 22 nd February, with bright raspberry and strawberry fruit flavours perfect for our rose wine. The team picked shiraz every day all the way through until early March. The warmer temperatures we experienced in February and March meant that the Shiraz particularly ripened up very quickly so it is a riper year in regards to intense ripe fruit flavours, ripe tannins, higher sugar and thus higher in alcohol. Average 7.6 t / ha for Shiraz. MERLOT We picked our 2 nd best Merlot blocks (Block 34 and 31) quite early - on 25 th and 26 th February to get the leafy varietal characters, ripe fruit and seed tannins with ripe fruit flavours. The remaining blocks were picked from late February through until middle of March, interspersed with Shiraz blocks. Normally the picking season is more spread out, with Merlot coming in after Shiraz, but due to the heat, the season became quite compressed with Merlot and Shiraz both ripe at the same time (with Cabernet not far behind!) Average 8.9 t / ha for Merlot. CABERNET Harvest for the Cabernet started in early March through until middle of March. It was a great season for cabernet. The extended heat allowed the fruit to ripen evenly, producing good skin tannin, seed tannin and riper fruit flavours. Average 6.1 t / ha for Cabernet. PAGE FOUR
MOURVEDRE AND GRENACHE A small harvest for these varieties this year, mourvedre 4.7 t/ ha and Grenache 1.9 t / ha. Some of the fruit was used for our Luna Rosa Rosado / rose style wine, with the remainder used for red table wine. Ripe tannins and fruit flavours with a full bodied style. We both started and finished harvesting the earliest ever with the Grenache being the last block to pick on the 11 th March. KEY SEASONAL DATA Rainfall: 301mm for the growing season (September to March) vs. 464mm average on vineyard. Quite a dry growing period. Temperature: Average minimum temperature was 11.8 and average maximum was 26.9 over the September to April period. These temperatures are slightly higher than the long term averages. Budburst: 17 th September 2015 (Chardonnay). Flowering and veraison: Occurred 7 to 10 days earlier than the long term average. Harvest: Commenced 26 th January with Chardonnay for sparkling base and concluded on 11 th March with Grenache. Yield: A total of 3663 tonnes from 503 yielding hectares at an average 7.2 tonnes per hectare. The season became quite warm and dry for the final ripening period for the reds, so the season became quite compressed with Shiraz and Merlot being ripe and ready to pick at the same time. In fact on one day we harvested the last Shiraz block, a Merlot block and the first of the Cabernet blocks all within a 24 hour window which is quite unusual! PAGE FIVE
The positives of the warmer drier conditions, meant ripe skin and seed tannins and fruit full bodied fruit characters and absolutely no disease pressure such lovely clean fruit. Just a slightly busier harvest, winery and a lot less sleep for the team than normal! Debbie Lauritz SENIOR WINEMAKER Marty Gransden VITICULTURALIST FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Sarah Wardrop MARKETING MANAGER swardrop@cumuluswines.com.au 02-9194-1554 PAGE SIX