VINTAGE REPORTS

THE GEELONG REGION

2024 Vintage Report

by Andrew Butler, Viticulturalist

Following a dry winter, the region experienced an early budburst, which persisted at all phenological stages throughout the season. There were a number of significant rainfall events throughout spring, however these were more spaced out than in the previous year, meaning vineyard access was not limited and disease control was more easily achieved.

Early vine growth was generally good and vines were well set up for flowering. Weather conditions at flowering were variable, with fruitset dependent on variety and location.

Conditions became drier in late spring and into summer, with most areas reporting well below average rainfall from flowering to harvest. Fruit development and harvest yield were significantly impacted by availability of irrigation water.

Final yields were generally reported to be higher than in 2023, although some sites reported lower yields. Compared with the long-term average, most sites reported average yields, with a small number reporting higher than average.

Grape and wine quality is reported to be good to excellent, again with some variability showing dependent on location. At this early stage, wines appear to be worthy of ageing, especially where earlier than usual harvest dates resulted in good acid retention.

The main challenges faced this season were reduced or limited water availability and increased input costs, particularly cost of labour, chemical and oak inputs.

Many wineries also reported impacts from an early and/or compacted vintage, and from an undersupply of key grape varieties.

Conversely, there were some reports of an impact of oversupply of shiraz grapes in the region, reflecting the situation across the country.

Limited water availability was addressed by careful irrigation budgeting and use of alternative sources if available.

Input costs were managed through reducing overall inputs where suitable, as well as efficient management of labour to maximise efficiencies.

Challenges with under- and oversupply have been addressed by varietal substitution in blended wines where possible, development of new products to match the available supply, or reduced production of certain products where no other option was available.

Looking to the coming season, the region has so far experienced a very dry autumn/winter period and most growers expect this to continue and impact the 24/25 growing season.

Although the most recent BOM outlook has shifted to slightly wetter than average conditions for the coming months, this is yet to materialize so growers are preparing for a water limited season.

Winter watering is being considered by those with available water, although this must be budgeted against water requirements later in the season.

There is a hope that input costs will be reduced if a drier season eventuates, through lower requirements for disease control chemicals and fertiliser and reduced labour costs related to canopy management.

Yields are generally expected to return to the long-term average.

THE GEELONG REGION

2023 Vintage Report

by David Crawford

A cool, wet spring in 2022 saw vignerons apply above average early season sprays to protect their crops against dreaded early season Powdery Mildew outbreaks before Christmas. Some inclement weather and winds around flowering also saw a modest fruit set in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir crops. All in all, a challenging start to the growing season of 22/23.

 A cool summer followed with repeat small falls of rain kept a lid on ripening, but some warm weeks in late February and early March were a welcome relief to most vignerons. At this stage, the Vintage seemed 5-10 days behind schedule depending on location, with a low chance of it getting back to parity.

As a result, many crops struggled to gain normal ‘physiological’ ripeness, with high levels of Malic acid being the norm. As for 2022, this vintage rewarded patience for most vignerons.

As a result, the wines of 2023 look bright and elegant at this early stage. With heaps of natural acidity abounding, there are many lifted wines with plenty of zip across the palate. However, there are also wines of balance of poise that should reward those who choose to put the wines of 2023 into their cellars.

THE GEELONG REGION

2022 Vintage Report

by Sam Vogel, Winemaker, Provenance Wines

A moderately wet winter was followed by a dry period that combined with high pressure systems, leading to some late frosts in the Moorabool and Barwon Valleys. The Bellarine and Surfcoast avoided the late frosts however significant wind events at flowering resulted in below average crop yields.

 The wet and humid growing season that followed was not for the faint hearted.  As the vines grew strongly, vineyard managers and vignerons feverishly worked to control the resultant canopy, opening them up to allow airflow in the hope of preventing mildew. 

The grape cell division period of the season went poorly for most, resulting in berries that didn’t swell to ‘normal’ size.  Small berries combined with the early season issues meant low yields and a strong skin to juice ratio. The bonus of these conditions were the resultant wines have good colour, tannin and depth of flavour. 

Overall the season was again ‘cool’, with no days rising above 40c and few days over 35c.  This led to excellent levels of natural acidity assuring wines of great finesse and elegance.  The wines are of a high quality and most certainly another great year that consumers will enjoy for years to come.

THE GEELONG REGION

2021 Vintage Report

by Tim Byrne, wine geelong viticulturalist

What a spectacular year for viticulture and winemaking. 2021 should go down in the records as one of those vintages that produces flavourful and nuanced wines with great longevity. The harvest parameters were almost perfect, with balanced acidity and full flavour profiles. Save a few scary fungal moments in the vineyards and slightly lower than anticipated crop levels there is not too much to falter. Harvest commenced in early feb for those producing sparkling wines and carried through to April for the late ripening varieties, picking after Easter was not uncommon. 

The long, slow ripening period meant growers could be careful with their picking days and allowed for increased complexity of finished wines through viticultural decisions. Expect Pinot Noirs with deeper darker colour and darker fruited flavours, Chardonnay will be tight with acidity but full flavoured and rich in complexity.

THE GEELONG REGION

2020 Vintage Report

by darren burke, wine geelong viticulturalist

Moderate rainfall through early winter and spring of 2019 paired with crystal ball predictions of a hot dry summer was the perfect red herring to what would be a challenging year. Budburst appeared later than recent times with initial vine growth looking good. Less than ideal flowering conditions of reduced sunlight, cooler temperature and strong winds, combined with reduced bunch numbers on certain varieties produced a lower yielding vintage. Post fruit set saw significant fluctuation in weather with scorching days of >35 followed by autumnal 15-degree temperatures. Added to this were significant rainfall events through late January and early February that generated humid growing conditions and the threat of disease.

Harvest began later than previous years and yield was down by as much as 50%. Many growers suffered impact to quality from mildew or rot and vineyard management was tested. Fruit ripeness progressed slowly providing high natural acidity and delicate flavour profiles. Winemakers could well have been challenged in the cellar this year but we should see both quality and variability in style across all varieties.

Wines from this vintage that are looking good now should continue to flourish with time. White varieties will generally be tight and fresh, requiring some skilled handling from now until bottling. I anticipate more restrained oak work in some of the 2020 Chardonnay. For the red varieties, high malic acid levels have contributed to higher titratable acidity and lower pH. Focus will now be on the MLF to bring these parameters in line and produce balanced, softer wines.  

As we all adjust and gain perspective on where the next 12 months will take us, irrespective of grape growing and winemaking, the 2020 vintage will not be quickly forgotten. 

 

THE GEELONG REGION

2019 Vintage Report

by darren burke, wine geelong viticulturalist

Good rains in winter and spring set the scene for a strong vintage providing plenty of sub surface water reserves for the vines.

Burst occurred at a ‘normal’ time for the region with all developmental stages following suite.

A good rain event in December provided reason to maintain the optimism rolling into the Christmas period.

Alas, that was the last of the rain for the season with a miserly 20mm total for the next 4 months placing vignerons under intense pressure. 

Harvest kicked off mid to late Feb for sparkling base then continued to be fast and furious for the next 4 weeks easing up mid to late March.

Lack of available water resulted in early ripening and modest crops for some. Those with adequate water were able to nurse the vines through some intense heat late Feb, early March providing fruit with intensity and structure.

A strong vintage to be sure with some outstanding Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.

Wines in oak and tank look vibrant and structured with likely long futures compared with ethereal 2018’s now in bottle. Intriguing!!

THE GEELONG REGION

2018 Vintage Report

by darren burke, wine geelong viticulturalist

The bonus for the 2017/2018 growing season was some rains in late summer/early autumn 2017. This did cause some problems for growers with some fruit left on the vine but for the majority set up a strong growing season for 2018 harvest with plenty of sub soil moisture and full dams.

Budburst occurred slightly later than the ‘norm’ with expectation early in the season that harvest would be slightly later than 2017. As we often find the vines naturally caught up in the ensuing months with the likely harvest date pulled back to line up with 2017.

A lack of rainfall made growers heavily reliant on sub surface moisture and stored water sources in the growing season.

The highlight of the growing season was the incredibly fast flowering with bunches good size and full with most expecting above average cropping levels. This lead to some required green harvest and shoot thinning to provide balanced vines.

Harvest kicked off mid to late Feb for sparkling base then by mid-April the last of the Cabernet was picked.

Overall, I would suggest it was a strong vintage across the board, with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Shiraz looking very promising.

Wines in oak and tank look vibrant, with good acidity and freshness.

THE GEELONG REGION

2017 Vintage Report

by darren burke, wine geelong viticulturalist

Vintage for 2017 started rolling in the autumn of 2016. The earliest harvest in living memory from 2016 combined with a drier and warmer March and April resulted in early senescence for the vines.

Above average rainfall in winter and spring set the scene for a strong vintage providing plenty of sub surface water reserves for the vines.

Burst occurred at a more ‘normal’ time for the region with all developmental stages following suite.

A somewhat dry and warmer period finished the year and continued into 2017 resulting in vignerons feeling the pressure due to lack of water. Fortunately, a good rain event in the latter half of January and again in early February provided some much needed respite for the vines enabling veraison and strong ripening to occur.

Harvest kicked off mid to late Feb for sparkling base then lingered into May for some due to large rainfall events late March and early April presenting some challenges for those with fruit still on the vine. Some incidences of fruit not ripening adequately to be picked.

Overall I would suggest it was a strong vintage across the board, particularly with aromatics, Pinot Noir & Shiraz.

Wines in oak and tank look vibrant, with good acidity and freshness.

“In places with low rainfall, limited yields and tricky conditions, you’ll find passionate producers, which is another reason to go – it takes talent and tenacity to turn tough elements into wines of complexity, and Geelong has those in spades.”

– James Halliday