Vintage is well and truly underway now, with the winery humming as fruit arrives daily and the wild ferments kick off. We’ve hit our stride in the last fortnight, welcoming some beautiful Pinot Noir from Todd and Gill at Brinktop, followed by a flurry of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay, with the Pinot Blanc for the Tupelo also making its way into the fold.
It has certainly been a season of patience. The bracingly cold and relentless winds of Spring made for a longer, more tempered growing cycle. It was one of the more challenging stretches we’ve navigated in recent memory. But Guy and I have been leaning into those shifts, adapting our approach to match the season’s tempo.
In the winery, we’ve borrowed an extra set of hands to help. Mackenzie Doody, or ‘Macca’ as he’s known, hails from the Hunter Valley and has been at Scarborough Wine Co for the past 10 vintages. His knowledge of the winery and, indeed, of handling chardonnay has been a welcome addition to the team.
Despite the hurdles, the results are incredibly heartening, with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, in particular, showing a beautiful clarity and poise that makes all the effort feel well-won.
