The maddestly hot Summer in living memory resulted in a rather challenging vintage. Not least due to the grapes being ripe ridiculously early (tales from Central Otago included grapes being harvested on the last day of February: unheard of), so the logistics of having enough people around to get the job done was tricky.
The weather also meant that there was a running battle with vigour and mildew. The vines wanted to grow and grow they did, so those that did not get a regular haircut really got away, and the humidity did the rest. Some were not quite on the ball as much as they ought to be and a lot of fruit got left on the vine.
The quality of fruit that had been well looked after was terrific, potential alcohol was generally about spot on and physiological ripeness in balance. Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, the twin tenets of New Zealand wine production, were both in excellent shape in North Canterbury. The Pinot Noir coming from the active Limestone sites was particularly impressive.
Even with skilled pickers the fruit still needed careful selection in the winery and the sorting table got a pretty serious workout, by far the most labour intensive part of the whole process. With a natural wine making philosophy there were no additions and fermentation was allowed to kick off spontaneously. The spin with these wines was the extended skin contact, with even the Sauvignon getting 28 days on the skins after the end of fermentation.
2018 North Canterbury wines are going to look great when the first ones get released in around October.
