2024 in the Vines
gently pressed, happily fermentED, QUIETLY RESTING…
As we come to the end of 2024, with our wines now quietly resting in tank and barrel, we recap on the year in the vines. We spoke to Vineyard Manager, Travis Salisbury, for his view from the vineyard…
“In English viticulture one year is never the same as another and so the trend holds true for 2024. As one of the hardest vintages I have ever faced comes to an end, I look back at milestones we have achieved as a team, the trials and tribulations of the year, and the quality of fruit that came off each vine. A vintage for the record books leaving us able to rest in the knowledge that, while many didn’t reach the finish line, we crossed it together, stronger, and better. A true testament to what nature and people can achieve!”
pruning…
Once all the leaves had dropped from the vines and the carbohydrates had relocated back into the trunks and roots, pruning started in mid-December with the Pinot Meunier vines of our oldest site, Findon Park Vineyard. From January we were accompanied by sheep in the vineyard who keep the grass short in the winter without the need for a tractor and mower, and contribute to soil health with their droppings. All 9.93 Hectares of mature vines were pruned, pulled out, and tied down by late March 2024.
Budburst…
The temperatures seen over the late March period were above average which triggered the vine to start off its unknown journey into the 2024 season. The 26th of March saw the first signs of buds starting to break out of their winter protective layer and the beginnings of green/pink tissue appearing. From this point, until the 12th of April, growth was slow due to a dip in temperatures. This prolonged early growth put all sites at risk of frost during this extremely fragile period. At the mercy of mother nature and hanging on knife’s edge, temperatures dropped close to freezing with our lowest recorded temperature seen in our Pinot Meunier at 0.8 degrees Celsius. The vines grew slowly over the next few weeks as temperatures were mild. The driest period of the whole season was seen over this period, lasting a mere 10 whole days. Late April saw young shoots expanding with the first signs of leaves starting to unfurl. Then the rain started. From the 25th of April to the end of the season the rain was unrelenting with the longest gap at any time between showers being 6 days. The high humidity and damp spells increased disease pressure with perfect conditions for the development of downy mildew.
Wooly bud – 25th March // Budburst – 12th April
cover crops…
Cover crops were drilled in between the showers with diverse seed mixes to help with soil compaction, nitrogen fixation, and biodiversity amongst other benefits. Thankfully, a brief period of improved weather and good temperatures allowed for perfect germination period with the cover crops established well. Some of the seeds drilled included fodder radish, phacelia, common mustard, buckwheat, crimson clover, white clover, and common vetch to name a few.
Flowering…
As the vines pushed through the season, disease pressure stayed high. Those who were reactive rather than proactive lost their crop in an uphill battle against mother nature. Weather conditions over the flowering period were less than ideal with high rain and high winds reducing pollination and slowing down fertilization of the fragile flowers. Berry set was sporadic with individual berries within one bunch setting as much as two weeks apart from each other. These less-than-ideal conditions vastly reduced yield and contributed to an uneven ripening.
24 June 2024 – flowering // 10th July 2024 – fruit set
VERAISON…
The 23rd of August showed the first signs of veraison in our early ripening Dijon Pinot Noir clones. Veraison was sluggish with transpiration rates subdued by the cold temperatures over the ripening period. Full veraison was completed by the 25th of September, the second longest ripening period recorded here at Wiston estate. Rain continued which would usually cause fear of berry splitting but as transpiration remained low, so too was uptake of water which led to reduced berry swell. This ultimately meant that the final cluster weights showed little to no change in size from ripening to harvest. Analysis began later than normal with sampling occurring weekly, allowing us to create accurate trend lines to monitor changes in acid and sugar helping to ensure the best picking dates. In contrast to 2023, this year saw the smallest ever bunch weights recorded at Wiston Estate.
23rd August 2024 – veraison first signs // 25th September 2024 – veraision fully complete
harvest…
Picking began on the 3rd of October with our ever-precocious Dijon Pinot Noir clones. After a short break whilst we waited for ripeness to catch up in our other vines we continued, picking the rest of our Pinot Noir and our Meunier from the 14th of October. The last fruit to come in was our Chardonnay with picking concluding on the 23rd of October.
Harvest was not without its own challenges. Non-stop rain made it next to impossible to avoid getting wet and a flat tyre on our trailer slowed us down. However, we were aided by the winery team and many others from all over the estate in picking fruit, collecting crates, and ensuring that quality was maintained. A true demonstration of the camaraderie of the Wiston estate.
to sum up…
Despite the challenges of the 2024 vintage, the team and I are extremely pleased with the quality of fruit brought in. A small but powerful year which has been enhanced by selective picking, allowing our vineyards and the quality within to shine through. A year which has been a true testament to the Wiston estate vineyard team and the hard work undertaken throughout the season being realized in the quality of fruit landing in our coquard press.