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1998 vintage report for Pyrenees (Victoria)

Reports from the Pyrenees region of Western Victoria indicate that the 1998 vintage will be a memorable one. Crop levels were well above average in general and most wineries in the region were filled to capacity, with lack of tank space a problem in some cases. Mount Avoca Vineyard doubled its yields of the previous drought-affected three years. ‘The season has been very kind to us, especially considering that we are two years into a drought,’ said Neill Robb from Redbank Winery. ‘We had very little winter rain last winter but the timing and extent of spring rains was excellent. It was not a particularly pleasant summer until we had two inches of rain in January and the follow-up in February.’ Neill said the winery was looking at reasonable quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, although not much Pinot Noir. He said the quality should be good also. The 1998 vintage followed on from one of the driest winters ever. El Ni±o reduced winter rainfall and many dams were only half full at the beginning of spring. Although the season was generally dry, there were some sporadic showers that enabled good budburst and good flowering. However, a few vineyards reported that lack of water reduced crop levels. The quality of both red and white varieties was ‘outstanding’ across the region, according to Matthew Barry, winemaker at Mount Avoca. He said both quality and quantity had surpassed previous years. Although the vintage was 3-4 weeks earlier than the previous few years, sugar levels were high, with acid levels also high. ‘Wines are showing intense and surprisingly well developed ripe fruit characters,’ Matthew said. ‘The young wines are already tight and well structured and the high acids should result in wines that will age well.’ He said fine weather during vintage allowed all fruit to be harvested in excellent condition. Heavy autumn rains arrived days after picking finished. ‘Overall it is an exceptional year that will raise expectations for future vintages,’ he said.