News | Coal Pit Wines

Vintage 2023 is resting safely in the barrel, and the vineyard takes a breath. Harvest 2023 made us reflect on how grateful we are to come out of this year unscathed, all things considered. Farming can be a heartbreaking livelihood, which became all too real as we saw the destruction of Cyclone Gabrielle.

 

For us, the growing season can be remembered for rain as well (to a less detrimental effect) as it started out wet and finished wet. As buds burst, we welcomed a temperate and wet season. One benefit of all this rain was the stimulation of a lush and leafy understory before inter-row cover crops were even sown. As the season progressed toward summer, we enjoyed very hot and dry weather. It was shaping up to be an early year, and we frantically prepared the winery for an early vintage. However, as we moved into March and early April, we received an incredible amount of rain (at the peak, 30mm in a single day), which slowed the ripening process down to nearly a halt. Despite the risk of disease that can be caused by significant amounts of rain, we experienced the cleanest fruit we have ever harvested at Coal Pit since we started our organic transition - which was extremely satisfying as it was our first year officially Biogro certified. This was partially due to our hot and dry December/February period, but also the continual improvements made in the vineyard year on year. Through organic viticulture, we have been able to build resilience in our vines, resulting in their stability through ever-changing weather. This allows us to feel confident that we will get to the finish line with quality fruit no matter what weather is thrown at us. We have truly developed a level of trust and connection in our site that never existed before this organic journey started. By the end of April, we were able to bring everything in, and this colder finish to the harvest resulted in elegant tannin profiles that are balanced with our characteristically concentrated depth of fruit on the palate.

 

With the 2023 vintage, so came the open borders. We were thrilled to see so many international interns back in Central Otago; it adds so much to the rich, diverse culture of our winemaking community here that we value so much. We were lucky ourselves to have Arthur Vergne, a Frenchman I worked with on the Burgundy Exchange at Sylvain Pataille, come to join us in New Zealand. A full-circle moment for us and a great exchange of knowledge shared that we hope to continue with Burgundy.

  

As for now, while our 2023 vintage is at rest, I will be headed to California to work a vintage at Jonata Winery this year, just outside of Santa Barbara. This international experience will allow me to bring back inspiration and ideas for Coal Pit as we strive for continual evolution.