Our 2019 vintage officially kicked off on Wednesday 20th February when Paul Bridgeman and his team started picking the first Pinot Noir grapes used to bring freshness and balance to our sparkling wine, Levantine Hill Estate Methode Traditionnel. The fruit had reached perfect maturity and was ready to start its painstaking journey into bottle.
2019 marks Paul’s twenty-first full Yarra Valley vintage, stating he has “not seen one as relentless, extended and constantly intense as this year’s.” The warm weather and low rainfall mean the team have been working consistently since the very first day of vintage. Usually, there is respite through rain delays but no such reprieve this year, as it has been an abnormally warm and dry growing season.
And, It’s not over yet. The team will soon start picking Cabernet Sauvignon for our Estate wine, and as a blending component for our Estate Rosé. We are also still a few weeks away from perfect ripeness for our Petit Verdot and Sangiovese grapes. However, the arduous conditions have provided us with some of the most promising and exciting young wines Paul Bridgeman has seen. Alas, the pursuit of perfection in winemaking continues.
