Adelaide Hills – 2005

Vintage 2005 was early with exceptional quality and good yields.Above average winter rains led into a beautiful spring, with some early November frosts but good flowering weather in late November and early December. Summer was wet and wild, with an amazing roller-coaster of weekly thunderstorms that helped maintain good subsoil moisture. Rains in January were followed by a dry February, and the dry weather continued right through the autumn. Warmer than usual autumnal weather caused an early, compact harvest of above average yields. The late Indian summer lasted into May, well after all the fruit was harvested with colour, flavour and maturity figures not seen before the 2002 vintage.The quality of the 2005 vintage is sure to be ranked as one of the best on record, after 2002, with all varieties showing strongly. The signature varieties for Adelaide Hills, ie, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, performed brilliantly.