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2005 vintage report for Yarra Valley (Victoria)

In the words of winemaker Rob “Sticks” Dolan, 2005 in the Yarra Valley was ‘Phenomenal—a cracker of a year for red and white. We couldn’t have wished for a better season.’
2005 in the Yarra Valley will be remembered as an outstanding vintage of two distinctive climatic halves. Spring was cool and mild with adequate rainfall, minimising the need for irrigation. A record rainfall for one day in early February had growers wondering, as the season was already one to two weeks behind. Luckily, the season was subsequently dry and mild—ideal harvest conditions. The warm days and cool nights allowed excellent flavour development in both whites and reds and pleasing colour accumulation in reds. Most vineyards finished harvest by Anzac Day, with higher-than-average sugar levels and exceptional acid balance.
Yields were slightly down on last year’s bumper crop but right on average across the board, with the exception of Pinot Noir—down by about 15 per cent on average.