2020

In winter, we saw extremely dry and warm conditions, with the vines producing grape juice early on. Cold spells, which at the end of March dipped to -6.5° C (20° F) and 4.5° C (40° F) in mid-April, caused frost damage, which over the course of plant development led to disparate growth in the shoots.

A let up in the dry spell didn’t arrive until the last days of May. Due to a more wet and cool period in early June, the blossoming phase was somewhat extended. It was common to see differences in ripeness, even on a single cluster, of as many as three weeks.

Following the burst of full shoots in spring, our pruning of grapes that were still green during July’s turning of foliage allowed for the achievement of greater uniformity in ripeness.

In summer, consistent  downfalls replenished our water supply, while it was not too hot either. Most decisive was September that brought stable weather patterns and warm daytime “Föhn” winds, which coupled with cool nights allowed for a robust ripening of grapes and vibrant aromas.

By the second week of September, the early varietals such as Sauvignon blanc and Sankt Laurent were ready to be harvested. By waiting until the second half of the month for Zweigelt and Burgunder sorts, we were rewarded with top quality in which mature and crisp grapes combined with shrunken clusters bring a depth and freshness to the wines.

From the last days of September and well into October pervasive rain fronts passed through bringing heavy downpours. Thus, the final phase of the harvest was drawn out a bit, as well as due to the appearance of fruit flies and the necessary careful thinning out of spoiled grapes.

The white wine varieties of Sauvignon blanc and Grauburgunder, as well as the reds of Sankt Laurent and Zweigelt, prove themselves to be particularly good in which a combination of crisp, mature grapes with shrunken berries makes for a broad flavor profile and rich depth. This is a year with which we can be very pleased.