2004 Vintage

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2003 Vintage

• Low yields due to cool temperatures assisted vines in weathering the drought.
• The vines maintained sugar levels following early vintage rains and ripened evenly.
• Chardonnay, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon possess rich flavours and supple tannins.

McLaren Vale experienced the dry winter typical of the 2003 vintage, however mild temperatures throughout promoted a very early bud burst in chardonnay before a cold snap in early spring delayed shiraz. Fruitfulness was low due to the cool spring in 2001 but fruit set was even and flowering occurred early in good conditions. The low crop levels assisted the vines in remaining healthy despite the hot and dry summer.

The three inches (76mm) of rain on the 20th of February followed by a week of wet and misty weather caused some splitting of berries. Fortunately the rain also rejuvenated canopies and sugar concentrations remained high throughout. A dry Indian summer and windy conditions assisted the vines in recovering and preventing disease.

Vintage was earlier than normal, beginning in fine conditions in the second week in February and finishing on the 22nd of April. The vintage was also very compressed with 12,000 of the 19,000 tonnes being harvested in March. Rosemount Estate winemaker, Charles Whish reported, "There are strong parcels of Shiraz with balanced, ripe, spicy, fruit flavours and a velvety tannin structure. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot were improved and careful tannin management, including low extraction, ensured varietally expressive wines with rich flavours and supple tannins.

Whilst yields were reduced, McLaren Vale experienced a high quality vintage producing wines with spicy, fruit flavours and velvety tannins, promising much for the full-bodied Rosemount Estate red wines."

Other varieties saw variable results. Chardonnay was also strong with rich, melon, fruit flavours most apparent but the rain reduced semillon yields. McLaren Vale grenache will be a highlight from 2003 with ripe, expressive, raspberry flavours.

The low yields and moderate temperatures resulted in an excellent result for the premium red wines from McLaren Vale including Rosemount Estate Balmoral Syrah, Rosemount Estate Show Reserve Shiraz, Rosemount Estate GSM and Rosemount Estate Traditional. These wines will be concentrated with intense flavours balanced by supple tannins.

2002 Vintage

Regular rainfall throughout winter and early spring ensured good soil moisture levels and strong vineyard growth. Low temperatures and wet conditions during veraison disrupted flowering and resulted in an uneven fruit-set. However, excellent growing conditions during a cool summer before a relatively warm autumn ensured the crop reached peak ripeness.

The nature of the season caused flavours to develop in the grapes later than usual, meaning that extensive flavour tasting was critical to ensure the correct time of picking. Yields overall were low with small bunches and berries. The cool season resulted in a high quality crop that combined the traditional rich depth of flavour of McLaren Vale fruit with a refined nature and clear varietal character. According to Rosemount Winemaker Charles Whish - "2002 in McLaren Vale is right up there with the great '98 vintage. The wines are more elegant but equally powerful".

The white varieties are rated as excellent with the highlight being Chardonnay, which displays strong fruit flavours and a rich mid palate.

Shiraz was a standout, showing distinct varietal clarity with a depth of ripe plummy fruit and no signs of over-ripeness. A fantastic Rosemount Balmoral will be made in 2002 and McLaren Vale Shiraz will be a key component in the Penfolds Grange and Bin 389 wines.

Charles describes Cabernet Sauvignon as "equal to the best McLaren Vale Cabernet I have ever seen", with real density of flavour and tremendous length whilst retaining varietal definition and cool season characters. Grenache is equally strong with spicy ripe varietal fruit characters and great complexity. Look out for a benchmark GSM and Traditional from Rosemount in 2002.

2001 Vintage

McLaren Vale had a wet winter and the rain, which continued into spring, promoted strong growth in the vines. Good November weather provided perfect conditions for flowering and even the temperamental cabernet sauvignon set well. McLaren Vale had its hottest summer since 1905, with a mean maximum temperature of 31.2°C. Rosemounts well situated, established vineyards handled the heat well producing particularly ripe, intense flavours.

Unlike some other varieties Grenache thrives in heat and Rosemount Winemaker Charles Whish said the variety was "the best for three years, so Rosemount GSM will be great". It was also a strong year for Shiraz, so there will be a characteristically rich Rosemount Balmoral and Rosemount Show Reserve.

2000 Vintage

Sorry, there is no vintage guide available for this year.

1999 Vintage

After a dry spring with average temperatures, McLaren Vale endured its hottest January since 1910 and sub-soil water levels receded dramatically. This resulted in somewhat uneven flower set and therefore lower yields. As always, the older vines were able to withstand these challenges due to the depth of their roots.

Rain in March meant some fruit was picked early however the older vines were not picked until late April by which time the weather had improved resulting in grapes with excellent flavour and finesse.

1998 Vintage

Favourable winter conditions and early spring showers facilitated an even budburst, flowering and fruit-set. The lack of really hot weather over summer with frequent cold nights played a central role in fixing acid, tannin and colour stability in the grapes.

Hotter weather in March and dry vintage conditions concentrated fruit flavours and accelerated final ripening. These near ideal conditions produced fruit with intense colour, excellent varietal flavour and fine tannin structure. Surely one of the greatest ever vintages in McLaren Vale.

1997 Vintage

The 1997 vintage enjoyed mild conditions through spring and summer, with occasional showers giving moisture to the vines. February was one of the most prolonged heat waves that South Australia has experienced in decades, however established vines and careful canopy management shielded the grapes from the worst of the heat.

Milder weather in autumn brought relief and a smaller than usual crop was harvested in mid March, yielding berries of excellent structure and noticeable tannins.

1996 Vintage

The 1996 vintage enjoyed a relatively mild growing season, which allowed for a extremely long ripening period. Typically for the region there was little rainfall throughout the summer, with vines relying on subsoil moisture from the winter rains.

A slightly late harvest in mid April consisted of small berries, which produced structured wines with particularly intense fruit flavours; definitely wines with outstanding cellaring potential.

1995 Vintage

The 1995 vintage was characteristically dry and hot throughout the majority of Australia. These conditions ensured uneven fruit set and hence low yields. McLaren Vale fared better than most with the combination of careful vineyard management and deep-rooted old vines ensuring any heat/drought stress was avoided.

The resulting fruit had typically small berries with deep colour and high levels of ripe skin tannin. An excellent result from a difficult vintage.

1994 Vintage

The 1994 season began with a warm, gentle spring providing ideal conditions for bud-burst. The season progressed well throughout summer before a cool autumn slowed the final ripening phase.

The long ripening period and cool conditions resulted in densely flavoured fruit with a superb balance of fruit flavours, acidity and fine-grained tannins. The wines are intense rather than opulently ripe with excellent structure and a long cellaring future.

1993 Vintage

In 1993 McLaren Vale was cooler than usual with some unexpected rainfall in the Spring and early Summer. The conditions encouraged flourishing growth and good fruit set, with careful vineyard management needed to control vigour.

A late hot spell just before vintage enabled the grapes to ripen fully, with the hand-picked fruit coming into the winery in late March and early April in good condition and showing elegant varietal flavours and smooth tannins. 1993 was another successful year showcasing the maritime climate of McLaren Vale at its finest.