CHALLENGING BUT REWARDING

high rainfall + floods | a late harvest | beautifully flavoured wines

The 2023 vintage was challenging from the start.

High rainfall in September, October and November caused issues with flowering as well as flooding parts of the Yarra Valley.

Harvest was 2 to 3 weeks later than the recent norm but increasing warmth in March and April allowed us to pick the different varieties in an orderly manner.

Quality is exceptional on Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, crops are down about 20% but flavours as good as they get.

While Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon volumes are down, the quality is good. All up, a challenging but rewarding vintage.

QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

poor fruit set | small yields | concentrated wines

The 2022 vintage was tiny thanks to the challenging growing season.

The varieties most affected were Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris but as they say, good things come in small packages.

While quantity was down around 50%, the quality is proving to be fantastic.

THE PERFECT VINTAGE

cool + slow | powerful fruit | fine lined acidity

Widely regarded as one of the best Yarra Valley vintages in decades, 2021 was cool which allowed the slow, ideal ripening for almost all varieties.

Both the Upper and Lower Yarra Valley have produced perfumed fruit with fine lined acidity, ideal for current consumption and cellaring.

Challenging on all Fronts.

Fires to the North and East | Smoke From the West | Then Along Came COVID – 19

The Yarra Valley has been lucky and although the best-laid plans were “turned on their heads” we had a great vintage (8.5/10) but we have all been challenged from an economic viewpoint.

Much to our surprise vintage was two weeks late and we experienced incredibly cool ripening conditions punctuated by rainfall events that slowed picking on many vineyard sites.

It was an eight-week vintage with crop levels across all varieties down 30-40% and acidity much higher than the previous seven years in the Yarra. This made picking at optimum times difficult and resulted in our grape-growers being significantly down on their budgeted yields.

We received fruit from 20 vineyards for Rob Dolan Wines branded wines and made wines for 19 separate clients. The standout wines will be Chardonnay and Pinot Gris closely followed by Pinot Noir from the cooler sites around Gladysdale and Yarra Junction.

The Watershed Vintage

Dodged a Bullet | Dry + Surprising | Round the Clock

Vintage 2019 was approached with concern and trepidation owing to dry and hot conditions in other regions in the lead up to harvesting. Climatic changes across Australia presented challenges for grape-growers and Winemakers as vintage periods are reduced from 12-14 weeks in the 90’s down to 6-8 weeks in recent years. Compressed vintages present issues in the winery as grape varieties ripen early and often at the same time increasing fermentation space pressure in the Winery. We planned for a shorter vintage by taking on a lease at a second winemaking facility to increase storage capacity, then moved to a “round the clock operation” and additional staff in the cellar. Vintage 2019 was a record year in terms of tonnage with grapes being sourced from x30 vineyards across the Yarra and an increase of 18% above average. Quality was excellent across all varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon (for the 5th year in a row) and Shiraz being the standout varieties and Pinot Noir will be the surprise packet.

A Benchmark Vintage from Long Odds

Benchmark Vintage | Early Weather Concerns | Bountiful Crops

2018 turned out to be a true benchmark vintage in the Yarra Valley producing wines that will cellar well for many years. A punter would have got long odds for such a vintage in December with summer rains and high humidity making viticulturists nervous. The odds shortened quickly as weeks of mild temperatures, blue skies and perfectly timed showers ensued allowing for even ripening and bountiful crops. Careful consideration had to be given to picking times to ensure ideal ripeness, fruit flavour, acid, balance and structure. All in all 2018 was a vintage of quality across all varieties, with Upper Yarra Pinot Noir and Chardonnay excelling and Cabernet Sauvignon knocking our socks off.

Traditional Harvest

Traditional Conditions | Blue Skies | Cool Nights

In contrast to the warm and compact growing season of 2016, Vintage 2017 saw a return to more traditional conditions. A cool and wet spring delayed budburst and flowering and consequently we had a late start to harvest in early March. Some truly ideal weather followed with about three to four weeks of blue skies and temperatures in the high 20’s with no heat spikes. The even temperatures, cool nights and long ripening period provided us with some excellent fruit across all varieties.

Short and Sweet

Compact | Warm | Ripe, Generous Wines

Vintage 2016 will be long remembered as the most compact growing season in living memory. A warm spring was followed by a warmer than average summer but luckily, we were spared from suffering through too many extreme over 40-degree spikes during the ripening period. The effect of this weather forced an acceleration of ripening but also a retention of fresh acidity due to the cool nights. It’s not surprising to see ripe, generous characters on the 2016 wines.

A Real Humdinger

Benchmark Year | Mild Spring | 22 Vineyards

Vintage 2015 in the Yarra Valley proved to be one of the strongest in the past 25 years. We significantly increased our fruit intake to twenty-two different vineyards across all sub-regions of the Valley. Spring was mild, allowing excellent fruit set and the vintage was cool and dry with perfect ripening and crop levels 10-20% above the average. The Remarkable varietal flavours with balanced natural acidity were evident across all vineyard sites and varieties. The 2015 vintage will be remembered as a benchmark year in the Yarra Valley.

Good Things Small Packets

Warm | Dry | Low Yields | Exceptional Quality

Much like 2013, 2014 was also a warm, dry vintage in the Yarra Valley. Significantly reduced yields due to poor fruit set in spring resulted in lighter bunch weights. Crop levels in some situations were down by 80% compared to the average for varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, all other varieties also had reduced yields of varying percentages. Overall 2014 yields were down 60% against original budgeted expectations. In saying that, the quality of the fruit was exceptional across all varieties.

Excellent Fruit Flavours, Structure + Length

Warm | Dry | Low Yields | Exceptional Quality

2013 was a warm, dry vintage in the Yarra Valley. Thankfully healthy winter rains meant the vineyards were prepared for any hot spells throughout the growing season. The main challenge was finding space in the winery because several varieties ripened at the same time. Fruit flavours were excellent and slightly more full-bodied than the 2012’s. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are beautiful wines with balanced acidity and plenty of flavour. Dry reds look fantastic with excellent structure and length.

A Benchmark Yarra Valley Vintage

Outstanding Conditions | Solid Yields | New Winery

2012 was a benchmark vintage in the Yarra Valley although yields were approximately 40% down throughout the region. A wet spring made for challenging growing conditions in the early part of the season as Growers worked hard to stay on top of disease pressures. Overall conditions were warm but the region managed to avoid the extreme heat experienced in 2009. Harvest started 2-3 weeks earlier than normal with all varieties showing good flavour development and solid yields. 2012 was Rob’s first year making wine at his South Warrandyte winery.

Good Flavour Development + Solid Yields

Warmer than Average | Early Harvest | First Rob Dolan Vintage

2010 was a warmer than average vintage in the Yarra Valley. The season started with good fruit set but unlike the previous years of drought there were occasional rain events that kept soil moisture relatively high throughout the season. The remainder of the growing season was outstanding with periodic rain events and ideal growing conditions. Fruit ripened beautifully with good flavour and acid balance. Classic Indian summer conditions saw a warm spell toward the end of April that allowed the later ripening varieties to ripen perfectly.