2024 Vintage Report

July 14, 2024

The 2024 vintage in the Barossa Valley presents a tale of challenges and triumphs, marked by weather patterns that both tested and rewarded the region’s vintners. Here's a comprehensive look into the season’s development, characteristics, and the expected outcomes for the various varieties.

Seasonal Overview
The season commenced under less than ideal conditions, with significant deficiencies in winter and spring rainfall. The Barossa Valley experienced 28% below-average precipitation during the winter, while the spring was even drier, receiving only 48% of the typical rainfall. This pattern forced the vines into an early budburst, for us it was two weeks earlier than the previous year, setting a rigorous pace for the growing season. We were scrambling to shoot thin our blocks in late September before the shoots grew too long!

Climatic Challenges
The early part of the season was characterized by dry conditions accompanied by clear, cold, and frosty nights, particularly in September and October. Luckily our frost fans protected most of our vineyards, however some areas without protections were 50-70% wiped out with frost, the small shoots turning green to black after the event.

This weather caused notable damage to some vineyards, impacting the yields. Additionally, a heat spike in November coincided with the flowering period, complicating fruit set further. Despite these adversities, some rain and slightly cooler days in December and early January helped the vines recover and accelerate into their ripening phase.

Ripening and Harvest
Veraison occurred 2-3 weeks earlier than in the previous year, thanks to the early start to the season. However, February brought no rain and temperatures were 2°C above average, leading to a rapid ripening period. Harvest commenced swiftly, with our only white variety Vermentino showing good fragrance and natural acidity, while the reds displayed intense vibrancy due to smaller berry sizes. Notably, most grape varieties were harvested before Easter, with later ripening varieties taking their sweet time. Mataro and Montepulciano extending well into April we eventually made the call to harvest before the dewy nights set in.

The cloud with silver lining
2024 was our lowest yielding vintage on record nearly 70% below average, the 2020 and 2007 vintages the only ones in my memory that came close to this one. Certainly not great for the bottom line but with quality at the forefront the vintage had some nice surprises.

Despite those extremely low yields the 2024 vintage is going to be noted for its exceptional quality across the board. Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon are highlighted for their standout quality, with Grenache showing lovely elegance and Cabernet promising great structure and longevity. With the extra work we've been putting into the old Shiraz vineyards they are looking outstanding and should prove a great investment when they eventually go on sale in a few years time.

Another notable mention is the Vermentino, benefiting from the season's rigorous demands and warm finish.

Conclusion
The 2024 vintage encapsulates the resilience and adaptability of Barossa Valley’s viticulture. Faced with climatic challenges, we fell we navigated the season with hard work and managment that's been handed down from generation to generation. My Dad & Mum, John & Barb's decades of experience crucial in navigating the tough conditions. It resulted in a small harvest but one that promises exceptional wines.

 

Our small vintage team also play the most crucial part ensuring the fruit it harvested and processed at the right time, a couple mates who come and help us each vintage make this happen and they're such good blokes they help keep our spirits high through the long arduous hours vintage throws at us.

Jason (a farmer who lives next to our Koonunga vineyard) and Jesse (a district nurse who takes time off during harvest) always available when they're needed most.

The proactive, laser focused detail and hardworking efforts of our amazing winemaker Ryan and newly employed dynamo vintage Cellar Hand Lachy (also my nephew!) have been pivotal in defining the quality of this vintage. Ryan's wife Isabelle helping in the winery and keeping the Cellar Door running (along with Jess's wife Kylie!) while all the vintage chaos is happening!

As the 2024 vintage wines mature, we expect the wines to reflect the complexity and richness endowed by our beautiful wine region the Barossa Valley.

I hope this summary scratches the surface on the the journey of the 2024 vintage in here the Barossa Valley, from its challenging start to its promising conclusion, highlighting the resilience of our vineyards and the passionate attention to detail of the workers both here at Atze's and throughout the entire region.

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