Vintage 2012 in Marlborough – A Stunner

April 26, 2012

Vintage 2012 in Marlborough – A Stunner

• Weather comes to the party – at last
• Yields down, quality up

Summer 2012 may never have arrived in Marlborough, but autumn has more than made up for it. Winemakers and growers alike have been revelling in the near perfect conditions over the past four weeks, as vintage 2012 moved into full gear.

A cooler than average December and January affected fruit set in many parts of the region, with yields being way down on previous years.

February and March were also much cooler than normal, with overcast days being the norm, rather than the exception. However since late March the region has basked in sunshine, helping fruit ripen to the desired levels.

The uncharacteristic summer conditions pushed back the start of vintage, although now most wineries are working around the clock bringing in fruit.
Cloudy Bay winemaker Nick Blampied-Lane described the quality as “excellent.”

“Little to no disease pressure has been experienced, and while at this stage not all of the Sauvignon Blanc has been harvested, the fruit from the Wairau Valley looks as good as it ever has.”

Mr Blampied-Lane said the cooler than average conditions over flowering has impacted on the flavours.

“All the grapes have had the fortune of ripening under very cool skies over a very long time. Sauvignon Blanc from the Wairau is likely to be as classic as ever, with complexity playing a greater role.”

He believed the yields will be down around 25 per cent, across all varieties, but said it is very site specific.

“The timing of flowering played a crucial role in yields. Even two to three days difference in flowering between adjacent blocks has produced significant differences in yields.”

Some Marlborough wineries have stated they could be up to 50 per cent down in certain varieties, while others, such as Spy Valley is down by 10 or more per cent.

Blair Gibbs, Spy Valley Wines General Manager said there appears to be no one variety more affected than any other, when it comes to yields; “It is site specific, not so much varietal.”

He described the quality of the fruit as being “fantastic, clean and vibrant.”

Dog Point Wines owner, Ivan Sutherland agreed, saying the lower yields are a bonus given the summer conditions.

“This is definitely not a year for over cropped vines. The combination of an extended growing season, low yields and settled autumn weather with cool nights, has produced intense fruit flavours, particularly in Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.”

Yields in the Awatere are also well down on previous years, but one winemaker says the quality is outstanding.

Glenn Thomas of Kiwi Oeno Ltd said the valley has been affected by the lower yields, perhaps more so than other parts of Marlborough, particularly in terms of Sauvignon Blanc.

“But the flavours are amazing. They are at the riper end of the spectrum which is where we always want them. The quality of the wines this year will be fantastic. Just a shame there won’t be more of them.”

The settled weather is set to continue for the next few days, with most wineries in the province expecting to complete harvesting by early May.

ENDS

© Scoop Media