For the first time in years, we had good Spring rain over the growing season. The whole Hunter Valley awoke from a mild winter and the vineyards transformed into a lush, vibrant landscape as far as the eye could see.
Vintage 2022 marked the second harvest of our pioneering Pecorino vines. We were one of the first to plant this variety here in the Hunter and the vines sit in the sandy loam soil at the base of the Steven vineyard.
We have exceptional quality semillon, verdelho and chardonnay coming from our vineyards. Each vineyard has a unique expressive profile that we are looking forward to showcasing in the future.
My favourite part of winemaking is getting to experiment, so we sourced interesting varieties from Hilltops and Young. We got great sangiovese and tempranillo, but we are really excited for the gewurztraminer, pinot noir and mourvèdre which will be released under our Special Release label.
The cooler, longer ripening season has allowed for more spice driven characteristics in our reds. We are optimistic that with maturation in French oak our reds will be looking great. As always, time will tell.