Vintages

Vintage Notes by Sandro Mosele,Winemaker

2008

Characterised by an early start and above average yields.  The unseasonably cool February greatly enhanced the aromatic qualities of the wines.  A hot week experienced in March had a pronounced effect on the fruit yet to be picked.  Fortunately, the vast majority of our fruit had already been harvested.  Wines from 2008 are some of the most expressive and individualistic wines we have made.

2007

Another early vintage.  Drought conditions and some hail earlier in the season resulted in lower yields for all varieties.  The quality of the fruit was excellent, and the resulting wines are very intense.

2006

The earliest season on record saw harvesting begin in late February. Overall it was a good vintage, resulting in aromatic and well structured wines.

2005

The vintage was characterised by a mild Summer with a beautiful warm Autumn. The season produced excellent conditions for white wines with very low pH and high acidities balanced by ripe fruit at lower sugar levels. The reds are also very good wines.

2004

This vintage produced great conditions for both white and red wines. Yields were on the high side resulting in a considerable green harvest. As a result the wines are extremely well balanced and elegant.

2003

The vintage was characterised by a warm dry growing season.Weather conditions provided perfect growing and ripening conditions for the fruit. Yields were half of that expected due to the hangover effects of the previous vintage. Quality was exceptional across the board with the reds being well structured and expressive with particularly long ageing potentials. Massale was introduced while all the Single Vineyard pinots were made for the first time.

2002

Very cool conditions through late Spring and early Summer dramatically limited fruit crops this year. Poor fruit set was wide spread throughout all of the vineyards. In fact, yields were down to as little as 10 per cent of normal levels. The quality of the resulting wines was poor and only a little Chardonnay was released as Clonale.

2001

Another warm season with abundant crops. Up to 70 per cent of the fruit was dropped in some blocks with every block needing some attention. A downpour in mid April of some 200mm of rain occurred and turned a very good season into a poor one for some producers. Fortunately, all of the Kooyong fruit had been harvested prior to this event. The quality of our fruit was exceptional and this season resulted in the introduction of the Single Vineyard Chardonnay wines.

2000

A hot and dry season, one of the hottest on record. All of the wines were particularly rich and full with colour being abundant in the reds. While all the wines were of a good quality level they offer better drinking in the short to medium term. The reds out performed the whites and have a deep tannin structure to support their weight.

1999

Our first vintage was a cool year with very slow ripening. While some struggled to fully ripen their fruit the Kooyong vineyard excelled. The long ripening period produced complex ripe flavours while the cool conditions resulted in higher acidities enhancing the structure of the wine. The whites were the stand out, and both the reds and whites show good ageing potential.