Tapanappa Foggy Hill Vineyard 2018 Pinot Noir -Magnum

2018 vintage was another in an increasing frequency of above average temperature vintages. Meanwhile the average moves inexorably upward.

At Foggy Hill 2018 was the warmest y growing season since 1960 and probably back further. A growing season heat summation (HDD) for 2018 of 1625ºC days significantly exceeds the 58-year average of 1298ºC days. However, there were no heat waves with only 4 days exceeding 35ºC. Nights were a strong contributor to the elevated growing season heat and that is a plus for quality. As well as being warm, 2018 was exceptionally dry with less than half normal rainfall during the ripening period from January to March.

Fruit set in late November in ideal conditions established a very big crop requiring half of the bunches to be thinned from the vines at veraison in late January.

In 2018 Foggy Hill delivered disease free, thoroughly ripe fruit in perfect condition and at moderate sugar levels. The crop level was also ideal at 6 tonnes/hectare.

2018 Foggy Hill Pinot Noir has an abundance of colour and had low malic acid content (indicating perfect ripeness) at harvest on the 12th and 13th of March which is the normal harvest window.