2013 Vintage Report
By Paul Mooney, Mission Estate Winemaker
“It would be hard to imagine a better spell of weather in which to ripen grapes… we
should be privileged to see wines produced that should live on in living memory for
perhaps decades.”
After a damp winter there was a fall off of rainfall into the spring. Early spring
temperatures were average and so bud break started at the normal time in mid to
late September. The weather warmed nicely into October although there were
several frost events and many occasions that wind machines and helicopters were
deployed.
In early November between the 8th and 17th temperatures were quite cool which
slowed the vine development. However from then, the temperatures progressively
became warmer and by late December they were approaching the mid thirties in
the vineyards on a day to day basis. This set up a very good flowering and fruit set.
From December 21st till 2nd January there was a very warm period with warm days
and unusually warm nights with temperatures hardly ever dipping below 18 degrees.
Then between the 9th and 15th of January there was a spell of real heat with vineyard
temperatures typically peaking in the mid thirties during the day and on two of these
days approaching 40 degrees.
This was followed by a remarkable run of anti-cyclonic weather patterns with fine
calm days, cool nights and little wind. It was very dry and this weather lasted from
20th Jan till the 4th of April. This stretch of 70 days of fine weather coincided with the
veraison right through to maturity in most varieties, except perhaps the later ripening
blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. It would be hard to imagine a better spell
of weather in which to ripen grapes and in particular Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.
The 4th till the 7th of April were cooler but then more fine days followed till the 16th of
April to complete the ripening of the Cabernet and Syrah. Those blocks of later
varieties that had the crop loads well managed reached full maturity by this date
and were harvested before rain on the 16th of April. September to April rainfall was
130 mm whereas the long term average is 350 mm.
There are similarities in 2013 to one of our previous great vintages, 1998. However
February 1998 was marked by hot North Westerly winds that back then put some
vines under stress and in doing so causing them to shut down. February 2013 was
marked by warm calm conditions with lower daytime temperatures and cool nights
so that the vines were not under stress and the acidities remained vibrant as the
aromas developed and phenolics ripened.
The two bursts of real heat in late December and early January coincided with the
cell growth and development of the phenolics. Consequently although there was a
good fruit set, the berry size stayed unusually small and green harvest or thinning was
less necessary than often is normal in most years. The fine dry weather after veraison
with the cool nights meant the vines maintained good acidity and there was not
excessive potassium in the skins. This has led to wines with great acidity and freshness
with little intervention necessary in the cellar.
The white wines are marked with very clean varietal aromas, not necessarily super
intense but ripe and very fine. The palate on the whites is marked by soft ripe
phenolics, fresh acidity and lovely persistence on the finish. They are very complete
and satisfying.
One aspect of the vintage that was surprising was the Brix levels of the fruit at
maturity which was lower than as is usual in a good year. As a result the ripest wines
are typically under 14% alcohol whereas in the past few good vintages the alcohols
in the biggest wines are usually over 14%. Consequently the wines are not heavy
while they show superbly ripe aromas and tannins.
The red wines generally have very pure varietal expression without any hint of
greenness. The tannins are soft, not at all aggressive and very supple. The aromatic
profile on the palate is pure and very long with great freshness.
Varieties
Chardonnay – This variety was very successful, reaching full maturity on most sites
between mid-March and the end of the month. The fruit was exceptionally clean
with very good acidity and aromatics. The young wines look very pure and fresh with
a very soft attack in the mouth and great aromatic persistence. The crop loads were
average; certainly not heavy often around the 6-8 tonnes per hectare mark.
Pinot Gris – Like the Chardonnay, again the aromatics were very good and the
phenolics ripe giving wines with nice definition and freshness. Because of the great
summer there was very good colour in the skins. Therefore the juice ran off the
presses with quite a lot of pink colour, but this has resolved itself in the young wines
and they have an attractive yellow-gold hue.
Gewurztraminer – these wines show the tell-tale freshness of the vintage. As well they
are showing lovely floral notes.
Sauvignon Blanc – as in 2012 crop loads were below average, perhaps due to poor
bud initiation as a result of the cool summer in 2012. The aromatic profile is definitely
riper than in 2012 with the wines showing aromas in the citrus and tropical fruit
spectrum. Again the acidities are fresh, however, because the balance of the wines
is so good they require very little residual sugar at bottling to appear harmonious.
Merlot – This variety will vie as the most successful variety of the vintage. There is a
fantastic aromatic purity in the wines without the overripe and sometimes jammy
characters that can mark this variety if hung too long to achieve physiological
ripeness. The tannins are very polished.
Syrah – the aromas appear as being very floral and pure. Again, as with the Merlot
the tannins are superb, and the finish is elegant without any sense of heaviness or
overipeness.
Cabernet Sauvignon – the Cabernet is very varietal and shows great blackberry and
cassis aromas. The palate on the Cabernet’s has great structure and texture with
good acidity. Blended with the amazing Merlots these will make some truly
memorable wines that should cellar well for decades.
The two Major Sub regions
Gimblett Gravels – Unanimously successful. The wines showing their tell-tale purity of
fruit expression with very fine ripe tannins in the reds and great persistence on the
finish.
The Triangle – It will be fascinating to see which of the two regions produces the
better wines. The Triangle wines have great richness and fantastic texture but
whether they have the purity and length of the Gravels wines we will have to wait
and see…
In Summary
The 2013 vintage has been outstanding. It is climatically similar to 1983 when there
was not a grape to be seen on the Gimblett Gravels or the Triangle as a general
rule. Never the less some very good Hawke’s Bay wines were made back then. With
the advances made in viticulture and site selection we should be privileged to see
wines produced that should live on in living memory for perhaps decades.