Vintage 2019 has been blessed with kind weather

Vintage 2019 has been blessed with kind weather, excellent quality, low disease pressure and breathing space between varieties, says Villa Maria viticulturist Stuart Dudley on March 22, the day Villa launched into 24-hour mode in the vineyards and winery. “In general, from a quality point of view, things are looking great. Last year we were literally rushing around keeping an eye on the condition of fruit and making sure it was holding. Whereas this year we are just walking around looking at how good it all is.” Villa winemaker Helen Morrison puts it even more succinctly, when she says “yay for Vintage 2019!”

Stuart says the vintage has been “the complete opposite” of 2017 and 2018, when rain leading into harvest resulted in disease and picking pressure. This year fruit was “pristine” and varieties were spread out, with Pinot coming on first, along with quite a lot of Chardonnay. The valleys ripened at different rates too, with the Wairau leading the Awatere. “That is what is expected, but in the past few years it has seemed like everything has come on at once, so we are really happy.”

Yields of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are down due to cooler flowering conditions and the long dry summer, resulting in small berry sizes and loose bunches, he says. “At this stage winemakers are pretty happy with the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay being delivered in pristine condition and low cropping levels. It’s exactly what they want.” But it means tough economics for some. “Low yielding Pinot is really good for quality and we didn’t have to do as much work through the season. But you still want to know your cropping levels are high enough to make it viable to be growing it.” Those who fell short of water when the Southern Valleys Irrigation Scheme and other water rights were shut down in late January and early February, have particularly low yields, Stuart says.

Villa Maria started harvesting “really good” Sauvignon Blanc more than a week ahead of an average year. The impact of warm days without cool nights called for a careful watch on falling acids, to ensure they did not lose that “key component” of the wine’s balance. “We are definitely noticing flavours coming in pretty early, especially in the Wairau Valley, and grapes developing flavour at slightly lower brix than they might normally.” That necessitated “some smart picking decisions based on flavour and acidity, rather than sugar”, he says. “It’s about making sure we stay ahead of that flavour and pick Sauvignon while it’s still fresh, with good flavour and acidity.” Yields on most of Villa’s Sauvignon Blanc blocks are tracking below average and some of the blocks that suffered water stress during the summer were further reduced. He anticipates three weeks of picking between the first day of 24- hour operation and the end of vintage. “I might get Easter off for the first time in 12 years.”

Over at Saint Clair Family Estate in late March, winemaker Hamish Clark is beaming amid gleaming tanks, relieved to have a vintage of premium fruit and unpressured picking. “It feels a bit like the old days where we can pick and choose, and pick the exact days, at the exact ripeness. We can go and take a bite, then go back a few days later and take another bite.”

The winery crew has been working hard but has not had to “push the hammer down” on anything, he says. “Flavours and concentration are incredible… Across the board it is jam packed with flavour.” Lower yields could help correct the market, making it “hungry again”, he says. “And hopefully it will stabilise the grape pricing a little.” Meanwhile, the excellent quality will go a long way in “reinvigorating” consumer faith after a few tough years. “It’s been a couple of years since we’ve have some amazing, amazing flavours come out.”

Pinot Noir is heading for a “top notch vintage” and there are some very concentrated blocks of Sauvignon, Hamish says. “I think we are right up there with some of the best vintages we have ever seen.” And while rain was heading Marlborough’s way when this Winepress went to print, Hamish was sure that the “squeaky clean fruit” would come through unscathed.