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2008 vintage report for Hunter Valley (New South Wales)

By Patrick Auld
President
Hunter Valley Vineyard Association Inc.

The 2008 vintage weather in the Hunter Valley was a test, but this winemaking area has variable harvest conditions from year to year, so it had not really been unexpected by the older winemakers in the community.

The Hunter Valley had some interesting weather changes in 2007, starting with the flooding rains during the long-weekend in June when the Hunter region received about 330mm of rain in 36 hours. As a result of these falls, the sub-soil moisture levels in the vineyard were excellent into the start of spring.

Moderate conditions continued through spring and into early summer, with 190mm of rainfall in November, and then a further 150mm in December.

Leading up to vintage, this mild weather allowed for healthy vineyard growth and the development of a generous crop, approximately 25% higher than in the previous years. Fruit balance was excellent on the vine, with this mild weather producing fine fruit drive and retaining bright acidity.

The significant Hunter white varieties of Semillon, Chardonnay and Verdelho reached ripeness at about the same time during the week of 14 January, slightly earlier than usual. The Valley was swept by rain just before picking (recording 117mm between 18-26 January) so the start of harvesting was generally delayed into the next week.

The cooler summer weather provided a zesty and elegant fruit balance, in keeping with the elegant vintages of 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004. The alcohol levels are slightly lower, but the flavour and varietal definition are very positive.

By the end of January, the Hunter region had completed most of the whites except for botrytis (late-harvest) blocks, and had the anxiety of watching the weather again turn to showers and storms. The area recorded another 150mm of rain in the first 14 days of February. The return of wet weather coincided with the start of the red harvest, and the challenge became the protection of the premium vineyard blocks. The showery weather abated after the 15 February, and the Hunter could finally rejoice in warm, sunny, breezy days that were ideal for red fruit ripening. The dry weather continued until 27 February, and allowed many vineyards to complete the red fruit harvesting.

The consensus is that while the rain has caused early problems in the vineyards, the Hunter has been able to produce smaller premium parcels of excellent Hunter red. The better varieties have been Shiraz, which again has shown its capacity to cope with such changeable weather, and Merlot, which has also been a surprise with its overall quality consistency.