2016 La Motte Harvest Report

“I am expecting the smaller berries to result in complexity and intensity for our red wines”, says La Motte Cellarmaster, Edmund Terblanche about the 2016 harvest.

“We were challenged by exceptional summer heat and water shortages, as we had, on average, 33% less rain than normal and were running out of irrigation options. It is, however, important to remember that the season started during autumn 2015! Autumn and winter 2015 offered ample cold units and initial normal rainfall. Spring also started off well, without too much wind or heat and, at that stage, with enough water. It was since the end of October that the exceptional heat and dry conditions created negative conditions. Metabolic processes of the vine change in the heat and can affect quality factors such as acidity and the development of flavours. Dry-land vineyards, especially, suffer in these conditions.

Similar to last year, the harvest also started 10 to 14 days earlier than what we regard as normal. As mentioned, berry size is smaller, bunches lighter and yields lower.


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