Vintage has come and gone for another year.

We started the season off with a significant heatwave in November 2009. The effect of this brought the vintage on a little early. Favourable conditions during spring with minimal frost and no disease issues saw white grape yields above average. The overall results for the whites are pleasing with the Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc producing outstanding wines, showing great varietal expression.

The Coonawarra Region experienced very warm weather in November, however there was minimal damage to the vineyards as bunch development was still in an early stage. More stable weather conditions through January and February allowed our key red varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz to ripen slowly. This helps to develop complex flavours and softer tannins.

Cabernet from the 2010 vintage is the best seen for a while, these wines will be worth looking out for in a couple of years time. Shiraz both produced good quality fruit with lots of colour and flavour. Some other wines of interest that we have been working on this year include a Mount Gambier Pinot Noir, which is looking fantastic and a Botrytis Riesling. Both wines are likely to attract some great media attention in future and will fit well within our portfolio.

With much of the crop harvested by the end of March, about two weeks early, we were able to enjoy a relatively quiet Easter break (a rare opportunity for us in the wine industry).

The wines are now packed away in the cellar, with the whites in preparation for bottling later this year and the reds in oak for maturation. Overall everyone is very pleased with vintage 2010, a great year for winemaking and an exciting one for us at Patrick of Coonawarra.