Our vineyard crews had their work cut out for them this year. Budburst came early across the region, while the cold nights and frosts in September and October meant very early mornings for the crew. Fortunately, the frost protection we have on most of our vineyard sites kept the grape safe. Of course, Mother Nature rarely does things by halves. The challenging conditions continued: unsettled weather during the December flowering period meant good soil conditions, but significant reductions in crop levels. But while she can be stern, Mother Nature can be equally generous - even in the same season. The growing period for 2021 was a continuous thread of beautifully warm, dry conditions, which gave us very little disease pressure to worry about. And, as is often the case, the lower yields had a significant upside: fantastic fruit. The perfect temperatures meant that acid levels remained high, with the grapes developing their full flavour on the vine. The end result is a vintage of outstanding quality and a Sauvignon Blanc with the hallmarks of a future classic.