2021 harvest is under way

We began picking our grapes in late September. Now, at this important stage in production, it’s looking like an excellent vintage.

The year got off to a frosty start, with budbreak setting in two weeks later than in the year before. An advantage, really, because the ripening period was also postponed. The grapes later had more than enough opportunity to achieve that ideal balance between sugar and acidity. After a chilly spring, high temperatures in June, accompanied by abundant rain, triggered vigorous growth in the vineyards.

July and August might not have been better, were it not for the hailstorm that caused damage to some of the vineyards at Dürnstein and Rossatz. The affected areas have seen seriously reduced yields, while the crop has needed longer to ripen. Happily, though, the grapes themselves show no more sign of having weathered the hailstorm.

The final weeks of summer again brought heavy rain at just the right time, with skies later clearing in time for the harvest. In the next few weeks, we are counting on autumn in all its glory, with sunny days and cool nights. At the moment, everything speaks for a great vintage, marked by freshness, elegance and a well-balanced structure.