2024 continued a string of successful vintages in Central Otago. Dominated by a shift into an El Niño weather pattern, we experienced a very warm and dry growing season. Benign conditions at flowering gave us excellent yield potential, before the wind kicked in from November through January keeping disease pressure low. While soil moisture levels were approaching drought levels, we managed to keep the vines vital through this period, which has given small berries and concentrated, powerful wines with lovely balanced acidity. No rain through February meant an early start to harvest mid-March. Thankfully, conditions cooled off through the end of March to slow ripening just enough to give us some decent hang time, with harvesting wrapped up by Anzac Day.

We harvested the grapes in the cool morning to retain their freshness. We saw excellent flavour in the fruit on the vine, with a balance of greens and tropicals. Once in the winery, they were swiftly pressed to tank, settled for 48 hours before fermentation with yeast at cooler temperatures to promote an aromatic lift. Once fermented, they were racked off lees to maintain aromatic purity and character of Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was bottled after vintage was complete.