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1998 vintage report for Adelaide Hills (South Australia)

Wines from fruit picked before Easter in the Adelaide Hills region are ‘excellent,’ according to Chris Laurie of the region’s Grapegrowers and Winemakers Association. ‘Whites have very good flavour ripeness and reds have high Baume with good varietal definition, colour and structure.’ Chris said of those crops picked towards the end of the vintage, some varieties suffered the effects of rain and cool weather with loss of flavour intensity and acid structure. It was a very good season throughout the region, with no bursts of excessive heat. Rainfall was well below average; however rain that did occur in spring and early summer was very timely and established vineyards required little or no supplementary irrigation,’ he said. Vintage started a week or two earlier than usual and progressed very rapidly to better than average Baumes while still holding good acid and low pH. This put pressure on processing capacity early in the vintage. Chris said yields overall were a little on the high side of average but did not compromise excellent clean fruit. Rain over the Easter break coupled with the onset of cool, dull weather and further rain a week later complicated and extended the vintage, but neither disease or splitting were a problem. Chris said European wasp numbers were greatly increased this year and presented a significant vintage hazard for the first time.