The great day of reckoning

by Babich Wines April 7, 2021

With the last grapes of the 2021 harvest coming into the winery, comes the day of reckoning. We finally know exactly how big the harvest was and how much wine we will be able to make of each variety. Importantly, we also know how good the wine could be.

Cool weather over flowering in Marlborough meant fewer flowers, and therefore fewer bunches. For the first time in five vintages, we did not have to do any crop thinning this year. The effect was more marked in the red varieties, but the whites were affected too, with notably lower volumes of Sauvignon Blanc, for instance.

The good news is that the cropping levels we had across the board were close to the levels we like for our reserve level wines, which means that the 2021 vintage should over deliver in terms of quality, with really ripe, concentrated fruit. The downside is that there will be less of it, but wine lovers need not fear – there will still be 750ml in every bottle!

But the post-harvest reckoning is about more than just the wine itself. It is also about us. How well did we perform? What have we learnt? What can we do better in the coming year?

After more than 100 years of making wine in New Zealand, Babich has developed some high standards – sustainably getting the best quality out of our vineyards and into the bottle. Yet, every year we look at what we’ve done and challenge ourselves to find ways to fine-tune our performance even further. Because in the end, it all makes a difference in your glass.

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