Tag: 2015

South Africa Vintage Report 2015

Some claim it is one of South Africa’s best vintages for decades, but that doesn’t mean it was without drama.

Written for Wine-Searcher

So, how was the 2015 harvest in South Africa?

“Like a rat up a drainpipe being pursued by a Cape cobra,” was the analysis of Fledge & Company’s Leon Coetzee. “It was an incredibly early harvest. Less than average winter rainfall, scant spring rains, good heat and a few real hot spells meant that you had to be in the vineyards even more than usual and have growers who know their vines really well, as well as not getting too spooked too early,” Coetzee commented in general about the 18 sites around the Cape that Fledge vinifies.

Speed was of the essence for producers this year, with the harvest running between a week and a month early in places. The early and dry growing season combined with a handful of heat waves (including the hottest day on record for more than a century) led to one of the earliest harvests on the books in South Africa.

It was a short Christmas holiday period for South African winemakers, who had to be harvesting just a few days into January as the harvest came fast and furiously. Picking times and getting (and fitting) all the grapes into the winery became the important balancing act. For those who could keep all their balls in the air at once, 2015 is set to be one of the best harvests on record…

Read the full report at Wine-Searcher

June 1, 2015
Chile Vintage Report 2015

Chile has had a pretty wild ride this year, marked by floods and volcanic eruptions. The resulting wines will be mixed but the warm season looks promising for Mediterranean varieties.

Starting in the north of the country, a hot and very dry growing season pushed harvest times forward by a couple weeks. “We have had an early harvest this year with big bunches and lots of fruit,” said Emily Faulconer, winemaker at Viñedos Alcohuaz in Elqui. “The green harvest was very important this year” to restrict yields and allow fruit to ripen.

For all the dry conditions during the majority of the year, Mother Nature certainly made up for it on March 25; a freak rainfall dumped the equivalent of seven years’ worth of the region’s rainfall in less than 12 hours, reaching parts of the Atacama desert that hadn’t seen rain for centuries. Treacherous mud avalanches were fatal, although only affected minor vineyard plantations in Chanaral. In Limari, where harvest was halted for a few days until conditions dried up, the rain was a blessing in disguise for an otherwise parched region.

Further down the coast, in Casablanca, the hot year fanned a bush fire between the wine region and port city Valparaiso but fortunately vineyards were left unscathed. “2015 was a special harvest because we had a warm summer and autumn, with lower rainfall than the previous year,” commented Felipe Garcia from Garcia-Schwaderer. “We had a normal yield, but an early increase of sugar concentration. For that reason we picked some fruit without full ripening, [to maintain acidity].”

It was a battle for acidity across the Central Valley with a hotter harvest in most places, although rainfall mid-harvest in March proved a relief for some producers…

Read the full report on Wine-Searcher.com

June 1, 2015
Top Argentine wines to try for 2015

As we settle into a New Year and we get ready for the 2015 harvest over the coming months, there are many wines from last harvest or harvests previous only just coming to light. Here’s a rundown of five beautiful wines just making their way to the market…

Super Uco, Fratello 2012

The Michelini brothers are a tour-de-force in the Uco Valley, and this is their latest creation. Fratello – Italian for brothers – won’t be the same every year, but this sublime first year is anything to go by it will soon be a cult favourite. A super small production of Syrah with a touch of Malbec, this comes from a very special spot in Tupungato where the vines have been left to grow freely without any chemical treatment and the wine is a glorious success: texture, dark fruit, wonderful spice, and finesse. This will be one of the year’s most collectable wines – stock up now!

Nieto Senetiner, Semillon DOC 2014

Since young winemaker Santiago Mayorga joined the team at Nieto Senetiner there has been a slight shift in the direction of this traditional wine producer focusing on more single-vineyard concepts. One of the results is this excellent value Semillon. Recently launched, this is the only DOC white wine in Argentina and uses a variety that used to be more widespread than Malbec. Although Semillon is still in decline in Argentina, this wine might make some change their mind about the overlooked variety: a floral, orchard-fruit nose with a rich mouth and good body. Super value at $100pesos.

Cara Sur, Criolla 2014

Criolla was the first grape that Spanish settlers brought with them over 500 years ago, without any set classifications it is seen as table grape and completely underrated. While Criolla gets a lot of bad press here, this wine will certainly shake things up. Coming form a very unique vineyard in high altitude Calingasta Valley (in the San Juan district next to Mendoza), this is fabulously easy-to-drink that will change your ideas about Criolla. Fresh, fruity, and rather pretty – drink this chilled and make sure to order two bottles before the limited stock runs out!

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February 3, 2015