keep
Fruit-forward wines with excellent structure
Weather Conditions
Harvest 2005 had a good lead-in to the season with good winter and spring rains establishing favourable soil moisture levels in most locations. The ripening and harvest period has been characterised by generally cool-to-mild conditions with the majority of regions benefiting from regular, refreshing rain. The cooler conditions are generally providing a steady ripening environment in which superior colour, flavour, acid and varietal definition are developing in the grapes.
High crop quality has also been assisted by the brief nature of the rain episodes, the clearing conditions that followed and early disease management and follow-up programs all meaning disease incidence has been light. Moreover, because soil moisture levels have been high, the rain has not caused berries to bloat rapidly and split, as sometimes occurs with summer rain episodes.
The harvest began about 7 to 10 days earlier than usual and early indications suggest an average-yielding season with good-to-excellent quality.
Best Appellations
Granite Belt in Queensland, Barossa Valley in South Australia, and Margaret River in Western Australia
