The photos below show the results of the 65mm of rain we received in January this year. In the first image you can see the incredible regrowth of the vines, with the tips poking through the nets. This occurred in certain patches of deeper soil where the water pooled more.In these areas the bunches of red grapes were shaded by the excessive foliage, as seen in the photo below. It's hard to believe there are any grapes hiding in there at all!As a result, these particular vines have been leaf plucked by hand to ensure even ripening throughout the entire vineyard block, which should result in a more consistent wine. The exposed bunches are shown below.This is winemaking in the vineyard!
The lead up to vintage has seen some nervous moments in the vineyard. On January 16 we had an unseasonal downpour, with 65mm of rain falling over two days. This led to minor outbreaks of grey mould (botrytis bunch rot) in white grapes through some vineyards (see photo below). Fortunately Grace Farm escaped the berry splitting that can compromise bunches and lead to grey mould. Interestingly, we used none of the synthetic fungicides which target botrytis and we feel fortunate that our programme of sulphur, kelp and fish emulsion sprays have kept the vines in good health and the fruit in pristine condition. At present the vineyard is completely netted and we are eagerly awaiting the first pick of chardonnay in...
As the sun begins to set on 2015 it's nice to look back and reflect on the year that was. Grace Farm has continued to build its reputation on the quality of its wines. A new wave of awards and recognition is helping to cement the Farm’s position as a leading producer in the Margaret River region. All varieties have now received numerous gold medals, the most significant of these being gold at the prestigious Sydney International Wine Show this year for the 2014 Chardonnay and 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. James Halliday in the recent 2016 Wine Companion rated all wines 95 points or more. In his 2016 Wine Guide Ray Jordan has seen merit in awarding Grace Farm the 2015 "Emerging Talent" award. This recognises not only...
Viticulturist Tim Quinlan was admiring the leaf colour and vine health of the Grace Farm chardonnay vineyard when he heard the good news. The small Wilyabrup producer had been named winner of the ‘Emerging Talent’ award in Ray Jordan’s West Australian Wine Guide 2016. The authoritative guide was published on Tuesday. "It means a great deal to me given that it is a West Australian wine guide in which we are in the company of the best WA producers,” Tim said. “Ray has a vast knowledge of WA and Margaret River wines, so we are thrilled that he chose Grace Farm for this accolade." The announcement is the latest in a series of accolades for Grace Farm, the highlight being...
It is interesting how a difficult growing season can end up producing wines of distinction. The successes of the 2014 Grace Farm wine releases have followed on from a wet, windy spring in 2013 in which flowering and fruit set were disrupted by rain and gale-force winds. Prior to the 2014 harvest we reported lower-than-average yields in whites, coupled with smaller berries than we would normally expect in both whites and reds. After the windy spring weather passed, a favourable summer set in. With mild ripening temperatures and good soil moisture, vine canopies were under minimal stress and the grapes retained wonderful natural acidity as flavours accumulated. Lower pulp-to-skin ratios in whites and reds translated to a lower recovery of juice in the...
