Great winter and spring rains helped fill the soil profile and set up the vines for a good season. A mild Spring resulted in average to good fruit set in the Shiraz thus resulting in a lower estimated crop. Late spring and summer were quite dry and hot with January two degrees above average. Ripening was quite expedient in the first and 2nd weeks of January where we thought we may be the earliest harvest on record. A late rain event on Valentines day resulted in 100mm of rain in just 24 hours which slowed ripening down and we had to wait till the grapes shed their water load and show their true flavours again. Harvest commenced on 18th of February, just a week later after the rain event.