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1998 vintage report for Great Western (Victoria)

Southcorp’s Nick Bulleid said that winter was so dry at Great Western that 55 mm of rain in August had little effect on soil moisture profiles. Over 120 mm in September brought welcome relief but it was not long before conditions again became dry. The clear skies brought several frosts, one of which on 18 October appeared to have caused damage to Shiraz, but loss was eventually found to be minimal. By early December the vines were looking very healthy and with good vigour, helped by well-spaced rainfalls, the only problem being some damage from lightbrown apple moth. Flowering and fruitset were successful in spite of strong winds. ‘The summer remained very dry, though thankfully without any extreme heat,’ said Nick. ‘Vintage was the earliest for four years and took place without problems. Yields were higher than expected — remarkable given the dry conditions. ‘Shiraz is once again magnificent, the fourth year in a row it has delivered great quality, and wines are showing great strength and flavour. Cabernet, too, has performed well. Chardonnay is very strong, even better than the 1997, but Riesling is the one disappointment, as the fruit became too exposed on drought-affected vines.’