Vintage 2024: What a difference a year makes.
After the weather events in ‘23, it was great to see a long hot and sun-drenched start to the ‘24 season that (broadly) tracked through to our last pick of the year on the 9th April.
Many Waiheke Island vineyards saw less fruit produced this year, with good bunch formations, high quality fruit, but at lower weights, potentially due to the vines still recovering from the wet ‘23 season.
At Jasper Ridge, because of the protection given to the vines by the ridgeline from the Hauraki Gulf and the water tables and drainage into Te Matuku wetlands, our vines were protected and as such we maintained yield sizes.
An issue that was more prevalent this year was a noticeable increase in bird damage, or ‘bird peck’, where birds get into the protective nets and feast on the berries, which can lead to lower yields and sour fruit rot.
Coincidentally, the work to eradicate stoats and other predators of birds on Waiheke Island has been working well, with Te Korowai o Waiheke recording increases in birdlife.
This is great news for the ecology of the island and one for viticulturists to keep an eye on in future seasons as the essential work to improve birdlife populations continues.
To help out this year, we tried to train the vineyard puppies, Archie and Angus, to help us corner the birds so we could release them from the nets. Archie got really good, but Angus didn’t quit get it! There’s always next year!
A combination of the bees (who buzz about cleaning up the fruit damaged by birds) and daily walks around the nets with the puppies to spot and release trapped birds was the only way to minimise bird peck and keep the fruit clean.
We picked the fruit for the ’24 Rosé from the Bottom and Shed blocks on 25th March. The first of the grapes for Syrah were picked from the House Block on 28th March for the Guest Winemaker and finally in three more parcels, two coming off the Road and Ridge blocks on 4th April and then we held back the remaining super quality Ridge block until 9th April, as long as possible, to drive the flavour profile.
All in all, at the Jasper, we had a great vintage with stunning high quality fruit for the ’24 vintage winemaking.
The wine is in the winery doing its thing, with the ’24 Rosé heading to the bottle in May, and the reds, in their separate parcels, headed to barrel following fermentation in the coming weeks to lay in the cellar and age in oak.
With the nets coming off and the vines headed to hibernation through autumn and winter, it’s time to tidy up the vineyard and concentrate on those jobs that never get done about the Estate, that is until pruning time in a few months.
And let’s not forget the best bit, the amazing end of vintage party for the teams across Waiheke that helped grow such great fruit this year. There were more wines to taste than your average bottle store, great company and lots of vintage stories.
The event was huge success thanks to the organisation skills of the fabulous Waiheke Wine Growers Association and hosted by the wonderful team at the Batch Winery.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to keep up to date with what is going on at the Jasper.
Sign up to find out for latest releases, special offers and competitions, and get in touch if you’d like us to come and do a tasting for your teams, or want to discuss having unique and limited edition Jasper Ridge Estate wines at your wedding, event or for corporate gifting.
#JasperRidgeEstate #Rosé #Syrah #waihekeisland #ittakesavillage