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2005 vintage report for Barossa Valley (South Australia)

After only an average budburst, good summer rains and mild ripening conditions enabled an unexpectedly large crop of excellent quality, with good natural acidity and low pH in most varieties. Indeed, some varieties yielded at bumper levels. Weather conditions during vintage were ideal.
Whilst bunch numbers were generally down, bunch and berry sizes were up. There were instances of uneven ripening (notably in Shiraz), with the result that Baume wasn’t an ideal measure of flavour. Partly for this reason, fruit was often picked a little later than usual and generally at high Baumes. There were no significant reports of disease. The fruit quality for winemaking was excellent but there have been reports suggesting that quality at the ultra-premium end could have been better. The quality of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Barossa Valley and Riesling in Eden Valley appear to have been “stand-outs”.
The fermentation capabilities of most wineries were generally pushed to the limit and many growers were prevented from picking their fruit at optimum ripeness. Wine storage also appeared to be an issue.
It is estimated that the total crush of Barossa fruit will be in the vicinity of 90,000 tonnes, a small increase on last year’s crush. However, there were many reports of growers who experienced problems in the disposal of their fruit with most varieties affected, although Cabernet Sauvignon appeared to be the least wanted of the major varieties. Whilst some fruit was left on vines or dropped onto the ground, there are many reports of growers quitting fruit for little more than picking costs and even arranging for fruit to be crushed for their own purposes or the bulk wine market.