For our vines, this relatively stable “growing season” climate is ideal. Warm, dry days fuel steady sugar accumulation and phenolic development, while mild nights allow acidity to balance those sugars, an essential trade-off for achieving perfectly ripe fruit.
At Altair Estate, the past few months have seen excellent canopy growth and well-timed phenology. Our white varieties have already passed through veraison; that key period when grapes soften and change colour, marking the shift from berry growth into ripening and are now developing flavours, aromatics and natural acidity in earnest. Our reds, too, are not far behind, tracking beautifully toward their own veraison and eventual ripeness.
Our Winemaker Josh can barely contain his excitement as he walks through the rows of Vermentino, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.
“The fruit looks brilliant this season,” Josh says. “With the hot January weather becoming slightly milder heading into February, the vines are experiencing conditions that we dream of…steady heat during the day and cool, refreshing evenings that preserve acidity and complexity in the berries.”
This balanced thermal regime is exactly what growers hope for, helping the grapes achieve physiological maturity without undue stress.
Because of this temperate transition into late summer, Josh is predicting that the fruit will begin arriving at the winery by the last week of February; a timing that sits comfortably within Margaret River’s classic harvest window.
“We’re seeing beautiful acid structure and flavour development in the whites already,” Josh enthuses. “Everyone here is really looking forward to what we think could be a standout vintage.”
If the weather patterns of the last few months continue warm days, light rain and cooling sea breezes then Altair Estate is poised for a harvest that reflects the heritage and varietal expression that Margaret River is renowned for.