Marlborough 2010 Vintage Report

We are starting to see a number of 2010 savvies roll through the door now so thought a wee vintage report might be in order. The feedback across the industry can be summed up in two words - "Phew!" and "Cracker!". It really is turning out to be a stellar vintage and we have been very impressed with the quality of the 2010's we have seen so far (Cloudy Bay, Invivo, Soho, Villa Maria amongst others). Ben Glover, chief winemaker for Wither Hills, wrote a great write-up on the 2010 vintage which we though we would steal to save ourselves some time. And hey, wouldn't you rather hear it from the experts? Ben, if you're reading this, THANKS, and yes I do owe you a beer..

What a vintage to kick the new decade off with! After a superbly structured 2009 vintage the 2010 outperformed its predecessor “100 to 1”. However it didn’t appear promising to begin with; leading into December’s bunch closure we were worried if we were going to be able to ripen what was on the vine at all. This time around the concern wasn’t the excessive crop load, but rather a 10 year low in Growing Degree Days. Luckily the weather God, Huey, came through in the latter half of the season sending high after high over the Tasman into the Marlborough region.  Ripening advanced rapidly, and the harvest delivered on time, with some of the later ripening vineyards looking absolutely stunning – not just structurally but already demonstrating an amazing array of intense flavours throughout ferment. The harvest was short and sharp, with the first grapes picked on 8th March and the last fruit brought into the winery on 23rd April.  Compared to previous seasons, Sauvignon Blanc harvesting started on 25th March and ended on 22nd April, which is similar to the 2009 vintage and just behind 2008 and 2007. The Sauvignon Blanc, especially from our Rarangi Vineyard along with some of our grower blocks on some of the more fertile soils, is showing amazing depth and flavour spectrums, along with balanced ripeness.

It’s looking like a classy year again for Chardonnay – poised and elegant with superb nectarine and citrus notes.  With an increase in our vineyard holdings as a result of acquiring some great old Mendoza clone vineyards, the wines are currently in French oak, just ticking through the final residual sugars. If ever I was impressed with Pinot Gris – this was the year!  The superb flavour profile and phenolic ripeness can be attributed to the warmer night time temperatures we experienced throughout the year, along with the spur pruning of all our blocks to get even vine balance.  Our grower sites throughout the valley showed both balance and outstanding varietal expression – which i believe is quite hard to achieve with this variety.

If ever I was impressed with Pinot Gris – this was the year!  The superb flavour profile and phenolic ripeness can be attributed to the warmer night time temperatures we experienced throughout the year, along with the spur pruning of all our blocks to get even vine balance.  Our grower sites throughout the valley showed both balance and outstanding varietal expression – which i believe is quite hard to achieve with this variety.