Marlborough Vintage Provides Intensely Flavoured Fruit

Press Release
April 28 , 2011

Marlborough Vintage Provides Intensely Flavoured Fruit

• Judicious vineyard management pays off
• Lower sugars should result in lower alcohol wines

Vintage 2011 is all but over in Marlborough and winemakers are enthusiastic about the intensity of flavours in this year’s fruit.

It has been a vintage with some challenges, although the hard work by growers to manipulate yields appears to have paid off.

Nick Lane, winemaker for Cloudy Bay says the warm growing season enabled flavour and phenolic ripeness at lower than average sugar levels.

“The opportunity to pick at lower sugar will result in intensely flavoured wines, with more restrained alcohol levels. This was particularly the case for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.”

Brancott Estate chief winemaker Patrick Materman agreed saying they were picking on average at slightly lower sugar levels, as the acid levels dropped away earlier than usual.

“It means we have bright fresh flavours and nice crisp acidity. The stand outs to me this year are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris. The fruit stayed really clean across the board and the crop levels were managed well. We were able to have a long hang time, which helped develop those intense flavours.”

Research scientist Dr Mike Trought from Plant and Food Research says some of the fruit he has seen this year has “been absolutely brilliant.” He says the rain in late December and early January which broke up long dry spells set the vines up for the season ensuring there was no stress on the fruit. While yields were higher than last year, he said that has not impacted on the fruit flavours.
“With Sauvignon Blanc it is more about getting the fruit ripe and there has been a lot of ripe fruit this year with very good flavours. Those flavours have come in ahead of the sugars and there is a nice balance between acids, sugars and flavours.”

Rain the weekend before Easter in late April did not cause any major damage to the region, given the majority of fruit was already harvested. What was left benefited from cool, sunny and windy days that prevented the onset of disease.
Given the predictions were for a larger than average harvest, most wine companies are reporting full tanks and are looking forward tempting wine lovers with what should be another great vintage.

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