SAM STATHAM, ROSNAY ORGANIC WINES
The quality of most 2023 crops was very good. Chardonnay had delicate fruit flavour and aroma, with little sunburn, and Shiraz had full rounded fruit and rich tannin, and other varieties generally ripened late but well.
2022 was the second-wettest year on record (in NSW, since 1900). Maximum temperatures were the coolest since 1992, and minimums were warmer than average as well.
As a result budburst, flowering and veraison were all about 3 weeks later than in warmer, drier years, and many vineyards had excessive vigour, dense canopies, heavy crops and disease pressure. Even low vigour organic vineyards did summer vine trimming to allow machinery access and increase airflow, as well as crop thinning at veraison to remove green clusters.
October and November saw severe flooding in the region with the town of Eugowra washed away and some local vineyards isolated from town due to bridges washed away.
Inevitably, most vineyards did suffer from downy mildew early in the season and susceptible varieties such as chardonnay had late season powdery mildew in some vineyards.
2022-2023 was a difficult season with conventional growers tempted to use phosphoric acid to control downy mildew, whilst organic vineyards resorted to new organic fungicides such as silicates or old biodynamic preventatives such as horn silica (preparation 501) with mixed success. Longer term however the season may help many vineyards recoup lost vigour from the past droughts and ageing plantings.
By the time of vintage, there were some extended periods of sun and heat including one weekend in January which was very hot and caused moisture stress in some varieties with excess canopy. February and March, when the bulk of the grapes were harvested, were drier than average with a couple of storms thrown in and the harvest seemed to drag on forever. As a result the quality of most crops was very good.
Chardonnay had delicate fruit flavour and aroma, with little sunburn, and Shiraz had full rounded fruit and rich tannin, and other varieties generally ripened late but well.
Image: Rosnay Organic Wines, Sam Statham