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2011 vintage report for Clare Valley (South Australia)

Supplied by Annie’s Lane Growing season: A very cool spring and early summer caused a slight delay in budbreak and early season growth; vines didn’t really take off until late December and into January when temperatures finally reached average to above average. The cool and wet weather, especially in December, made conditions conducive to powery and downy mildew. The wet weather during flowering led to latent botrytis as fruit reached the early part of maturity. February and March were cool and wet making it very difficult to ripen fruit, especially given the high rates of disease. Many white varieties, including Riesling, showed good early flavour development because of the relatively warm and dry January but this was somewhat diluted close to harvest by continual rain events.
Vintage period: The wet and cool weather made for a very long vintage. Any late season fruit that escaped disease was able to ripen in quite good conditions during April and May. This was mainly Cabernet Sauvignon as most of the Grenache was affected by botrytis.
Yields and quality: Early ripening Riesling and late ripening Cabernet Sauvignon would be the standout varieties. Yields were average to above average in whites, except Chardonnay, above average in Cabernet Sauvignon and average to below average in Shiraz. Quality was mixed. Riesling is the standout from Watervale and the Chardonnay is the best we have seen since 2002. Semillon is fine and although not as generous as the past has wonderful structure. Shiraz struggled in most areas, however, the vineyards in the warmer parts of the valley that cropped the least matured earlier and have great varietal flavours. Late ripening Cabernet in the cooler regions has also fared well.