Members Only – Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Cabernet Shiraz 2004

The 2003/04 growing season evolved into a roller-coaster temperature ride. December was warm, January cold, February blistering and March and April cool. In nearby Coonawarra the heat summation for the 2004 season was 1357°C days versus the long-term average of 1375.6°C days, slightly cooler than average.

From our newly installed weather station at the Whalebone Vineyard, the heat summation for the 2004 harvest was 1284°C days. This trend of Whalebone Vineyard being cooler than Coonawarra has remained consistent for the 2005 and 2006 vintages and may be an artefact of the weather station positioning or accuracy.

However my inclination is that the measurements are correct and that Whalebone ripens slightly earlier and easier than Coonawarra despite being cooler because of the much reduced wind factor in the shelter of the Naracoorte East range compared to the exposed plain of Coonawarra.

The still air, cooler, hot day, cold night regime of the Whalebone Vineyard particularly suits Shiraz in its support role for Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc also performs well at the Whalebone Vineyard and that is not surprising given the similarity of the soil and geology to that of St Emilion in Bordeaux where it excels.

The prolonged cool ripening of 2004 allowed Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Shiraz (20%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) to be picked at the same time in the second week of April in perfect condition. The average sugar level of the fruit at harvest was 24 Brix; the pH was 3.55 and the acid 6gpl as tartaric.