Vintage 2012 has just been completed and what a fantastic year it was. Certainly a welcome relief after the rains of vintage 2011! The wines from 2012 are outstanding and up there with 2010 and 2002 as the best wines to come out of our Kalleske winery. Vintage 2012 began with a good growing season of moderate rainfall and normal temperatures. Summer was perfect with generally warm sunny days and only a few heat periods but nothing extreme (overall temperature was 0.7 degrees below average). Summer and early Autumn was generally dry with the exception of a refreshing 35mm of rain falling on the last day of Summer. This rain was welcome moisture for the vines combined with the perfect mid-high 20s weather that followed ensuring the grapes ripened steadily and evenly.
Vintage began on February 24th with the first block of Moppa Shiraz harvested. This was soon followed by Chenin Blanc, Grenache for rosé and then plenty of reds over the subsequent seven weeks. The final grapes to be picked were the Petit Verdot, Zinfandel and Clarry’s Mataro and Grenache on April 11th. The Florentine Chenin Blanc is excellent, maturing in barrel and tank to be released in Spring. After brief barrel maturation for added complexity the Rosina has now been bottled and displays the bright, fresh flavours of vintage 2012. The alternative varietals, Tempranillo (Dodger) and Durif (Buckboard) are both true to style and should be excellent follow-ups to present releases. - Troy Kalleske
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