The size of the crop was smaller than the previous vintage, but only slightly, so we are not stressing too much. Some cultivars performed better than previous seasons and some worse - these differences can be ascribed to the weather, with the date each cultivar flowered having the biggest influence.
The last summer, the period that determined the potential quality of the 2013 harvest, was a rather mixed time for the well being of the vines, and I think that this showed in the quality of the grapes as they ripened - some showing very well and others required a little more work during harvest. This year was not a year where you followed a recipe and treated all grapes the same-even within cultivars we constantly had to adapt and show patience and restraint.
Going through the finished wines we are happy that we got most of the calls right, most of the time, and we are very happy with the overall results - from what could best be termed a challenging vintage, especially after 2012 where everything happened so easily.
We are also happy to report that all the cultivars are looking promising with some standout tanks across our range - perhaps with the Shiraz as a class faring the best? We still make wines "slowly" here at Vergenoegd and don’t rush things and this includes making hasty predictions as to how fantastic this year is, when it will peak....
John Faure - Cellarmaster
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