- Singlefile Estate - Premium Fine Wines Australia | Reserve Chardonnay | Shiraz | Semillon Sauvignon Blanc | Rose

Countdown to 2009 vintage

Interest from the crows has started to be rather keen so we have netted the reds.  It may be possible to avoid netting the whites which are less exposed to bird damage as the bunches are somewhat more tucked away within the canopy.  The geese have discovered that the Smart Dyson cane arrangement brings some of the bunches within neck-stretch reach and they have been enjoying the occasional secret chardonnay sundowner when they think they are not being watched.  They imbibe in moderation thankfully!

If the warm weather holds we could be harvesting the whites by mid-March, the same as last year.  The reds will stay on the vine for an additional two to four weeks after that.  We hope that these critical weeks will be relatively dry to allow the shiraz to ripen fully.

The vineyard health check this week was good, with no sign of powdery mildew or botrytis to be found.  It will soon be time to start sampling and analysing the berries for the sugar (read alcohol) content and total acid content, on the basis of which our winemaker determines the optimum day for the harvest to take place.

Our goal is to make elegant wines with modest levels of alcohol (12.5% to 13.5%).  As grapes ripen, grape sugar concentration rises, grams per litre of acid falls and pH goes up.  Baume is a measurement of soluble solids (largely sugars) in grape juice and is used to give an estimate of finished alcohol levels.  A baume reading of, say, 12.5 relates to an alcohol level of about 12.5% or above.  The conversion is weighted by specific gravity (pH), which increases the higher the sugar concentration. The picking challenge is not simply a matter of baume level though.  The skill is in balancing the baume/alcohol ratio with fruit ripeness and flavour. 

We have received very encouraging feedback from our customers and a number of wine critics on our 2007 and 2008 wines and plan to take these comments into account in the continuous improvement decisions we make with our winemaker for our 2009 vintage.

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