EDEN VALLEY – 2023
While the winter of 2022 saw average rainfall, the latter part of the year brought cooler and above average wet weather. This led to poor flower set and encouraged the spread of downy mildew. A hail flurry on 23 January caused some damage to the growing green berries, which became sites for botrytis infections later during ripening. Shoot thinning to open up the canopy during the growing season helped to overcome disease pressure. The cool lead up to vintage resulted in a slow ripening period, allowing for great flavour development and acid retention. Rainfall during the harvest period did encourage the growth of botrytis, but careful hand selection during picking delivered good quality fruit. Despite the challenges of the season, yields were average to above average, with larger berry size compensating for the poor set. The 2023 vintage will be remembered for excellent quality wines with riesling, semillon and shiraz the standout varieties. Overall, the whites show intensely perfumed aromatics with a pristine acid line and outstanding flavour concentration, while the reds are deep in colour with good structure, mature tannins and excellent length.