2008 VINTAGE REPORT

2008 was characterised throughout the country as a hot and dry summer - good grape growing conditions.  Autumn however was patchier and a certain amount of viticultural skill and luck was required during the harvest period.  Fortunately we are well endowed with the first and our luck held.  This vintage has seen a dramatic leap in production for us, predominantly in Marlborough with Sauvignon Blanc.

MARLBOROUGH

With good fruit set and new plantings coming on, this was always going to be a very big year.  The agreeable summer conditions allowed us to fully ripen the large crop while the threatening late season weather added excitement to the harvest as we shoehorned the grapes into the winery.  The Sauvignon Blanc is looking very good, lifted aromatically and more in the nettle, mineral spectrum than last year yet still displaying tropical fruits that are a hallmark of the Babich style.  Pinot Noir is also a standout - our Cowslip Valley has again produced a rich and darkly exciting wine.

HAWKE'S BAY

A warm summer produced flavourful grapes and the end of season rain was less disruptive in the Bay.  The Gimblett Rd Chardonnay is the pick of the whites and the Merlot just nudging ahead of the almost equally excellent Cabernet Franc and Malbec at this early stage.  The overall quality in Hawke's Bay is very high and while our Gimblett Gravels vineyard is producing the "stars" we are very happy with the flavours coming out of Korokipo Rd also.

GISBORNE

Not the easy run that we have had in recent years, however, needing to pick (due to weather) and wanting to pick (due to flavour development) neatly coincided and we have produced some clean, fruit-forward, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Adam Hazeldine
Winemaker