Georges Michel VINTAGE 2010– LOWER YIELDS, HIGHER FLAVOURS

The Vintage in Marlborough this year was slightly later than the long term average in terms of ripening, but that was ok.

The fruit flavours were superb, the vine balance excellent and the yields below average.

The cool weather in December meant crops were lighter than average, and the fruit has benefited from the very warm March temperatures, resulting in “nice flavour ripeness, without excessive sugar levels.”

All our blocks of Sauvignon Blanc were down 30%, our winery block yielded at 8t/hec and our Springcreek block at 9t/hec.

The weather has been very kind, it was basically a dream run for us.

Marlborough is renowned for its high sunshine hours and cool night time temperatures that help lock in the zesty flavours and give the signature crisp and fruity structure to the wines. The vintage so far reflects this perfectly.

We started handpicking our Pinot Noirs on the last day of March; the flavours and colors were fantastic.

Then it was the turn of the whites for our sparkling, followed by the chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc. Last but not least we finished with the Viognier and the Syrah, which have both been able to fully ripen in the most perfect conditions.

In summary, it’s been a pretty fantastic vintage across the board, and we are now still waiting for the first frost of the season to start pruning.

Cheers,

Swan

New Kids on the Block

We are very proud to have just released our first ever Syrah and Viognier wines.  Both under the La Reserve label, the Syrah is from 2008 and the Viognier from 2009, the first crop off each vineyard block. 

The Syrah comes from our Vintage Lane (Winery) Vineyard and was planted on a site that maximizes Marlborough’s warm sunny days, and is particularly stoney so the earth can reach its highest temperatures, to ensure optimum ripeness. 

The Syrah was made following traditional winemaking techniques of France’s Rhone valley.  It spent 13 months in new and seasoned French oak barrels before being bottled and cellared for several months.

Supple and well balanced, exhibiting delightful red berry aromas, a touch of spice, white pepper, and chocolate.  With smooth texture and ripe tannins this Syrah can be drunk now or cellared for a few years.

The Viognier is from our Spring Creek Vineyard.  While Viognier is thought to favour the warmer climates we have found the grape variety has thrived in the cooler temperatures of Marlborough and was trouble free to grow however it was late to reach maturation, the vines being planted in 2004.

Finely textured and well balanced, this refreshing style of Viognier has purity, length and weight.

Eight months in new and seasoned oak barrels have produced a rich nose displaying subtle oak aromas which combine with the attractive lime and musky apricot fruit characters and finish with a long floral lift.