Georges Michel 2010 Vintage Report - by Swan Michel

Published: 24/05/2010

LOWER YIELDS, HIGHER FLAVOURS

The Vintage in Marlborough this year was slightly later than the long term average in terms of ripening, but that was ok.The fruit flavours were superb, the vine balance excellent and the yields below average.

The cool weather in December meant crops were lighter than average, and the fruit has benefited from the very warm March temperatures, resulting in “nice flavour ripeness, without excessive sugar levels.”

All our blocks of Sauvignon Blanc were down 30%, our winery block yielded at 8t/hectare and our Springcreek block at 9t/hectare.

The weather has been very kind, it was basically a dream run for us.

Marlborough is renowned for its high sunshine hours and cool night time temperatures that help lock in the zesty flavours and give the signature crisp and fruity structure to the wines. The vintage so far reflects this perfectly.

We started handpicking our Pinot Noir on the last day of March; the flavours and colors were fantastic.

Then it was the turn of the whites for our sparkling, followed by the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc. Last but not least we finished with the Viognier and the Syrah, which have both been able to fully ripen in the most perfect conditions.

In summary, it’s been a pretty fantastic vintage across the board, and we are now still waiting for the first frost of the season to start pruning.