Growing Season
In general 2014 was a challenging vintage, with warmth and Southeast drizzle in February creating ideal conditions for Botrytis (luckily – and with vigilance – not a problem in the end). This followed an unusually wet January with 1/5th of a year’s rainfall occurring over 3 days in what should be a fairly dry month. The standout feature of 2014, was the high level of physiological ripeness at much lower alcohols than usual – a highly desirable, but generally elusive situation for much of the Cape winelands.
The wines have benefitted with a rich depth of character and lively tension, without the sweetness and weight of higher alcohol. The year at 24.85 Centigrade, was a cool one in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, when measured in terms of average maximum temperatures for Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Cooler than 2009, 2012 and 2013. For comparison, Burgundy for the equivalent period in the Northern Hemisphere averages 24.77 Centigrade. What we thought would be a particularly late harvest was very much in-line with 2013.
