Comment from Chief Winemaker Danie De Bruyn
With 2019 Harvest in full swing, chief wine maker at Dunstone Boutique Winery, Danie De Bruyn, shares his insight on this year’s crop and what to expect from the Dunstone 2019 vintage.
“Following the drought brought on by lack of Winter rain in 2017, we were pleased to receive solid rainfall over the 2018 Winter period, which meant a good Spring start. The Summer that followed has been much cooler than usual, which has also had a positive outcome for our grapes as it means a slower ripening, which helps to achieve phenolic ripeness at Harvest picking.
Overall, it has been a great vintage for the Dunstone Grenache. Bud burst has been even which has allowed a lower intensity management of the vines throughout the growing season. The estate harvested 1.5kg per vine, which hits the envelope of quality wine from bush vines.
One challenge we have faced with this year’s Harvest was the uneven bud burst of our Shiraz block, which has led to lower yields; on the flip side this will hopefully mean higher quality wines. Decent acid levels present in the Shiraz grapes translate to a wine that will age well.