Newsletter - Nov 2002
2002 Harvest Report
The last batch of grapes has been pressed last weekend, and so now I
have time to assess the harvest, and relax a little. At the end of
summer we are always inclined to remember the rain and colder days,
and this year we have had our fair share of those. From a grape
growing view though, the wet weather came at the right time, and we
ended the summer with a virtually dry August and September. The
grapes were easily ripened, and the lack of moisture ensured that
the berries remained small and sweet. The overall harvest has
produced some of the highest sugar levels and the best flavours
since we started. Acidity in the crop was near ideal and the
fermenting wines are tasting very good in the tanks. It's too early
to say if this will be a great quality vintage, but it's sure to be
a good one.
Despite (or because of) our policy of using only organic methods,
the grapes were about as clean and mildew-free as I have ever seen
them. I've probably said that before in previous years which is a
credit to Marcus who manages the vineyards.
The bad news is that quantities are well down. In fact it is the
smallest crop we have ever picked on a yield per acre basis. This
was caused by a fortnight of cold wet weather in early July, which
affected the flowering of the vines. Pollen was prevented from
getting airborne (vines are wind pollinated) and what looked like a
load of flowers in June turned out to be just a few grapes a
month later. As a result of the small volume of wine, we will only
be making a single dry white (2002 Horsmonden dry) and a sparkling
wine - no red or single variety whites.
A more detailed harvest report can be viewed on our web site at www.davenportvineyards.co.uk/harvest2002.html
Our busiest year
2002 has been a year when we didn't have time to rest.
We bottled 60,000 bottles of wine from the 2001 harvest,
and we were bottling right up to the day that harvest
started. The winery at full capacity last year (about
80 tonnes of grapes), and we have taken on a full time
assistant winemaker, Jon Murison, to help me from
working myself into an early grave. We purchased nine
new stainless steel tanks to cope with the increased
volumes. During the year our wine sales have also
continue to increase, and we have supplied 4 new wine
shops and one restaurant, as well as our regular
customers. Over the last 10 years our production volume
has multiplied by 500%!
New Web Site
The web site has taken on a completely new look. The new site
was launched in October, and we hope that you will find it easier to
navigate, interesting and informative. If you have any comments
or suggestions for things you would like to see on the site, please
contact us. We get a large number of enquiries through the web site,
ranging from grape growing questions to enquiries about
local hotels in Sussex. All enquiries get a reply, and we really do
enjoy getting the feedback from visitors.
New labels
Next year our new range of labels will be released. I can't say
more because they are still unfinished designs at the moment, except
that the 1999 sparkling wine from our Limney Vineyard will have a
completely new look to reflect a world class sparkling wine.
Organic wines released
October 2001 saw our first crop in official organic
conversion (i.e. more than 12 months from our registration with the
Soil Association). Some of the wines from this vintage are now
available for sale from our web site and will be in the shops
over Christmas. The first is the 2001
Pinot Noir which is our first ever red wine under the Davenport
label from this variety. It is medium-bodied and full of varietal
typicity. Considering the way it has been made (long skin maceration
and maturation in oak barrels), it is very approachable as a young
wine and I recommend it as a wine to drink over the next 12 months.
This wine will become a regular part of our range when our new young
vineyard (planted in 2000) come into production, but until then it
is a one-off and will not be repeated in 2002.
We also have taken on some winemaking from 2 other organic
vineyards, who send their grapes or wine to us for bottling under
their own label. We are one of only 2 commercial wineries in the UK
that have a license to make wine under Soil Association
certification, and having experienced the Soil Association
paperwork, I can understand why.
Awards for the year
Over this year we have maintained our successful run in the
competitions, receiving the following awards:
1999
Horsmonden dry: Bronze
Medal in the South East Vineyards Association wine of the year
competition
2000 Horsmonden dry: Seal
of Approval in the WINE Magazine International Wine Challenge
Bronze Medal in the UK Vineyards Association wine of the Year
Competition
1998 Brut
Sparkling Wine: Bronze Medal in the UK
Vineyards Association wine of the Year Competition
We continue to support the English Quality Wine Scheme and have our
wines independently tasted by an expert judging panel
before release. This allows us to use the words "English
Quality Wine" on the label - a sure sign of guaranteed quality
in the bottle.
As Christmas approaches faster than I realised, I look forward to
the colder weather to come, a log fire and a bottle of English
Sparkling Wine to see in the New Year.
Hope you have a good Christmas too.
Will Davenport