The 2024 Vintage

On March 23 and 24 we picked 6 tonnes of Pinot and 3 of Chardonnay. The Chardonnay

was crushed immediately in our new rotary bag-press, cold settled in the cool-room,

then I put the Pinot through the usual cold soak with 20% whole bunches. While the ferment is in progress it has been my practice to spend the night in the winery so I can keep an eye on the temperature and plunge the caps. I kinda knew sleeping there wasn’t entirely safe, but not until I bought a carbon dioxide meter did I fully appreciate the danger. The levels were off the scale.

I decided it would be wiser to sleep outside. A dyspeptic possum did its best to scare me

away, but the air was sweet, plus there’s something rather magical about waking up snug

and warm in a swag as the rain sheets down a foot from your face.

All the ferments went through without a hitch. If 2024 was going to be my last vintage, I said

to myself, it was going to be a good one.

Then came devastating news. The Melbourne property developer who had agreed to buy

our place had defaulted on our contract. Eighteen months on the legal wrangle continues.

But at least the 2024 Chardonnay has been awarded 95 points by Halliday’s Jeni Port and the 24 Pinot, which is still in barrel, is coming along nicely.