The paradox of winegrowing in the Hunter Valley is at an all-time high; a year ago, the heat and smoke compounded three years of drought and made for dreadful conditions for the 2020 vintage. What a difference a year makes. So far, the 2021 vintage has been mostly cool, cloudy, with warm sunshine, and the odd shower of rain.
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"After all that rain in December, coming into January, there's been a bit of disease pressure about. But, the weather over the last few weeks has been kind, warm and dry, which has really pulled us back from the brink," says Stuart Hordern, senior winemaker at Brokenwood Wines.
"I reckon we were a few wet days away from being in a lot of trouble, but we've picked all of our whites over the last few days. I reckon things are looking really good, to be honest."
The cool of summer can be attributed to the La Nina weather phenomenon playing out in the tropical Pacific, just off the east coast of Australia. Above average rainfall is just one outcome that winegrowers have to contend with leading up to harvest.
"Things were certainly looking challenging for a while, what with all the rain we've had ... I know the vitis (viticulturists) have been working overtime to keep the fruit in good nick, which has really paid off," winemaker PJ Charteris says.
"The harvest date this year has actually been a little later than it's been over the last few years, or so," Charteris says. "It's a bit more back to normal, which is good. The gentle conditions have meant less stress and slower ripening for the vines, which allows them to really build up flavour while retaining good natural acidity.
"I'd say, things are looking really good, across the board. In fact, I reckon there's going to be some pretty handy whites made this year."
White wines are the icon wines of the Hunter Valley. Semillon, in particular, but also chardonnay, and - lest we forget - verdelho. Indeed, the region's reputation is all but built on these three traditional wine grape varietals and the wines that are made from them. Yet, there's more to wine country than this trifecta of whites ...
Angus Vinden has grand plans for chenin blanc.
"I guess, not many people think about a grape like chenin blanc growing in the Hunter. We grafted it on to a block of 50-year old semillon vines about six years ago, and this is the first year I've really got to play around with it ... I've been thinking a lot about different ways to build texture and highlight more of the natural fruit flavours of the grape, and I must say, I've been impressed by what I've tasted, so far,"
Moreover, typically, cool climate varietals, riesling and gurner-veltliner have managed to carve a small niche in some parts of Pokolbin. Winemakers Jodie and Damien Stevens of Hart & Hunter, and Scott Comyns of Comyns & Co, are excited to be crafting delicious wines from these anomalous aromatic whites grown here in the Hunter.
"Gurner's one of those grapes that's probably more suited to a cooler climate, but so long as the vines are managed properly and you pick at the right time, it can definitely make a great tasting wine from the Hunter," Comyns says. "I made a sparkling wine from gurner last year, which is so vibrant and fresh. This year, I'm making an off-dry style, as well, that's full of fresh pears with a bit of lime juice running through it. I can't wait till it's released."
The 2021 Hunter Valley vintage also sees the debut harvest of pecorino; a crisp, aromatic white grape that originally hails from Abruzzo, Italy. Mike De Iuliis, from De Iuliis Wines, and Suzanne Little from Little Wine Co. are both making wine from this novel grape for the first time.
"We couldn't be any newer to making wine from this variety," Suzanne Little says. "From what I've seen of it so far, it's got big bunches and the juice is quite delicate smelling ... like, granny smith apples with a touch of pear. It tastes really light and zippy because of the high acidity. I'm excited to see how it turns out."
With most whites harvested, in the cellar, fermenting away, Hunter winemakers now turn their attention to the reds. Fingers crossed the rain stays away as the 2021 Hunter Valley vintage rolls on ...
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