Tasmanian Vintage Overview - 2010
Tasmania's 2010 vintage followed four years of drought and has seen a welcome return to reasonable yields after the very low 2009 harvest. Winter rains were well above average, basically giving us the whole season’s rainfall prior to budburst. Follow up rains in spring and summer kept the soil moisture profile comfortable throughout the season. This led to excellent growth and good fruit set, which had a huge impact on the yield for vintage 2010. Preliminary yield estimates for Tasmania give a total of around 7,500 tonnes, which is a 50% improvement on last vintage. All varieties were shown to increase from last vintage. This, combined with excellent weather throughout the growing season has given Tasmania ideal conditions for a quality vintage.
Quality has been very good, with many sparkling wine producers commenting on the potential for this vintage. Pinot Noir (the premier variety for Tasmania) produced well in tonnes and in quality, both for sparkling and for table wine. Chardonnay has also been a highlight, with some winemakers claiming it may be the best in a decade. Vintage came on earlier than usual by about a week and for many growers was compact. Most fruit was harvested by the end of April with the last of the Pinot Noir (mostly in the coolest regions) as well as Cabernet persisting into May.
Overall, the Tasmanian vintage was excellent, reinforcing Tasmania’s position as a region of exceptional quality.
Wine Industry Tasmania 2010