The big news this year is all about the 2009 vintage. As stated earlier we are not offering an en primeur release with these wines, as at this stage I am still assessing the quality. If I don’t feel completely happy about them as Giaconda quality wines, I will probably reclassify them to one of our other labels for later release. I need to engender your trust in the ultimate quality of Giaconda. As a matter of interest I’m confident in the 2009 Cabernet and Aeolia which will be released in due course.

As has been well publicised there were numerous problems with the weather in the 09 vintage. Not the least of these problems in Victoria were bushfires and there was one near Beechworth. Fortunately for us it started the other side of town and continued in the other direction. While it seems there may be many smoke tainted wines in parts of Victoria, we seem to have escaped the problem this year. Both chemical analysis and our tastings confirm that we have no problems.

However, it was an extremely hot, dry and stressful season. This has also affected crop levels, with low yields in most varieties and no Pinot Noir picked at all.

Terroir: the word on everybody’s lips in the wine industry these days. I regard this as an holistic aspect; the soil; the particular geography and climate of the site and I feel we now add to this substantially by ageing the wines underground deep in the terroir itself. I have been concentrating on this aspect for many years now and am particularly excited about how our new underground cave seems to be adding to the terroir aspect of our wines.

I really am noticing a difference in the wines which are ageing in the cave. We must realise a barrel is slightly porous and some of this magic underground mineral character seems to be transferring into the wines in a very subtle manner. After all, many of the great French wines are aged in similar conditions. You can read more about my feeling on this in the tasting notes for the 2008 Chardonnay. I will explain this in more detail there, as I think this is where the effect is most evident at this stage, but of course it occurs in the other wines as well.

Nebbiolo: We are still not offering the 08 Nebbiolo as I have decided to keep with the traditional wine making techniques and give it another years ageing in our lovely 1600 litre Italian made French oak cask. This will give it a total of nearly 3 years maturation in cask.

Although it is almost like a moody fractious child, this wine looks potentially very exciting and I feel it is gradually turning into something exceptional. I am almost having to learn about wine making all over again with this one! I expect to release it this time next year for delivery in May 2011.

On the subject of our carbon emissions, something that becomes ever more relevant these days, we are still making progress. Last year I mentioned factors already undertaken, for example solar electricity and the substantial lessening of air conditioning usage due to the cave. I am now following this up by having a special monogrammed bottle produced, still a good looking traditional bottle, but almost 20% lighter in weight. I hope to have this bottle in use for this release, but in cork only with a matching screwcap bottle to follow soon.

Regarding developments in the vineyard we move ever closer to complete organic practices. This has now been followed up with some biodynamic trials in a part of the vineyard under the direction of Alex Podolinsky, one of the original leaders of this field in Australia. However, I feel I need to approach this in a gradually ordered manner to make a proper assessment for my own terroir. I am very committed to my own little piece of terroir and am very reluctant to jump into something which may change this in any way.

On a closing note my advice would be not to miss out on these 2008s’. Both because they are of exceptional quality and because there may not be very much of the 2009s’.