So the 2010 vintage has come to an end.

This is definitely the quickest smallest vintage I have ever experienced. We finished 3 weeks early, and no this is not further evidence of global warming! The vines just had too few grapes to ripen, so they did the job very quickly.

For the first time in Excelsior’s history we harvested through a weekend. Some untimely rain was had, and we were scared of rot. We called all our staff out for the Saturday, and 120 pickers arrived eager to earn some extra money. A machine was hired for the weekend as well, so this resulted in an extremely busy weekend. All in all we harvested 175 tonnes and 22 hectares that weekend. It cost quite a lot extra, but the quality and health of the grapes was great.

Overall the harvest is 25% down, but some varieties are more down than others. Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz crops are normal, but Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are down 45%, and 30% respectively. Most importantly, the quality is great, with some of the best colours, and concentration that we have ever had in the winery.

So I am stoked!