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2014 vintage report for Cowra (New South Wales)

After good winter rain, the 2014 season kicked off with 30mm of rain just before budburst which vineyard owners described as a “perfect beginning”.
But Rosnay Organic Wines’ Sam Statham said the region’s excitement was chilled by two frost events in late October which decimated many vineyards.
“Reds that were cropped reasonably where not frost affected, with lower yielding and early harvested Shiraz producing some fine fruit,” he said.
“Rainfall then dwindled with only two events giving more than 20mm during the growing season, forcing many growers to irrigate almost as much as during the drought.”
Poor rainfall reduced yield due to small berry and bunch size and some growers found they had the smallest crops since the middle of the drought.
Temperatures rose towards the mid-40s around Christmas and continued to heat up from mid to late January.
Some growers picked sparkling base and some table whites early (25-28 January) before the late January heatwave with good acidity, but some fruit was still sunburnt.