Bindi News

Harvest 2011

Amongst ourselves, and to some winemaking colleagues, we said we might not make it. Many didn’t make it this year. There were a myriad of different challenges and anxieties to overcome and the feeling from November to April was that at any point the crop could be lost. This season more than any other we […]

The vineyard is patient. The vignerons must be also.

The vineyard is patient. The vignerons must be also. We have entered a period of nostalgia as we amble through a March that seems more like 1993 than 2011. The fruit is finally veraised. The nets are on. The vines are green. The fruit is exposed and healthy. The crop was thinned by 30% and […]

Since when was the sub tropics moved to southern Victoria?

Since when was the sub tropics moved to southern Victoria? The cool, elevated Macedon ranges felt like central Victoria for a decade and now we feel like grape growers in Byron Bay. Without the beach, sadly. Dams that did not fill for a decade have continually overflowed from December to now. Long term, great for […]

And then the rains came

And then the rains came. After a decade of well below average rainfall we are about to break the 1000mm mark. The decade prior to the long running drought we were used to totals around 750mm. What a remarkable surprise this spring has been. Dams that had not filled since the late 1990s have overflowed […]

The winter was so cold my fingers froze and I was unable to key any blog entries

The winter was so cold my fingers froze and I was unable to key any blog entries. Well almost, but not quite. Hybernation aside, we have had a brilliant traditional winter of cold and rain. Our dams are nearly full and the vineyard has superb soil moisture to begin the season. The 2010 wines are […]

The onset of Winter

The vines are dormant and pruning has commenced. The ferments are done and the 2010 wines are peacefully resting in their barrels. It is a tranquil, if freezing, time of the year. The 2010 Summer was characterised by slightly higher than average temperatures of which the feature was 120 days where the Melbourne maximum did […]

The contrast between February 2009 and 2010 could not be more dramatic

The contrast between February 2009 and 2010 could not be more dramatic. Last year we experienced four days over 40 degree whereas this year we have barely had a day over 30 degrees. A welcome added bonus has been over 70mm of rainfall which has help put the vines in excellent condition as we progress […]

The 2010 season is progressing well

The 2010 season is progressing well. We have completed our crop thinning and the first signs of colour change in a very few pinot noir berries is just appearing. We expect the full veraison to take place in the first week of February which indicates a harvest time towards the end of March. Next week […]

Happy New Year

We enter a new year debating what to call it. Twenty Ten is what I’m going with. But I will accept Two Thousand and Ten! The vines are looking excellent apart from some very minor hail damage from last week’s thunderstorm. The loss would be well below half of one percent. The damaged berries are […]

The growing season is progressing very well after a cold start.

The growing season is progressing very well after a cold start. Two exceptionally hot weeks in November have seen prolific shoot growth and the beginning of flowering (ten days earlier than usual). Over the past few days we have experienced nearly 100mm of rain which has provided perfect moisture levels for flowering. The forecast is […]

The 2010 season is commencing with the early warm weather

The 2010 season is commencing with the early warm weather (Melbourne 30 degrees on the 12th of September) as the buds are starting to push. I have seen green leaves out in Sunbury but we are still a week away. The last of the 2008s went into bottle in early August and are just beginning […]

Seven Vintages of Block 5 Pinot Noir

On Tuesday the 18th of August I enjoyed tasting and discussing seven vintages of Block 5 with Matthew Hansen’s wine class at Carlton’s Tre Bicchieri. The vintages ranged from just bottled 2008 to the first release, 1997. 2008 Block 5 Having been bottled ten days ago this is unfair on the wine but interesting to […]

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