07 May 08 - Vintage 2008 at Capel Vale has finished!

The Capel Vale Vintage for 2008 was officially over yesterday, as the last red ferment was pressed out. All the winemaking staff, vintage crew and viticulturists are heaving a sigh of relief as the long days and busy weekends come to a close. The hard work doesn't end there though, with the winery team now looking at checking the wine in barrel and preparing for the next vintage.
The quality of both whites and reds from our own vineyards has been exemplary, and we believe 2008 even exceeds the quality of the wonderful recent 2007 vintage!
Due to Capel Vale owning vineyards in ALL of the cool climate regions in WA, the operation to pick grapes is a large one. This made a spread of picking dates from the 1st of February to the 15th of April, which is a 75 picking day window, the widest of any single facility in WA.
Below is a vintage report from all four of our vineyards:

GEOGRAPHE
Our Stirling and Wellington vineyards, on the coastal plain at Capel, ripened whites with excellent flavour spectrum at the usual picking times. Reds [Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Petit Verdot] on these vineyards were approximately 10 days delayed in ripening and were picked at the end of March, early April. All fruit was received in excellent condition with no evidence of disease.

PEMBERTON
Our 80ha Sheldrake Vineyard was little affected by the season and picking times for whites were normal with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, all outstanding in flavour and intensity. The Pinot Noir is starting to gain some real character as the vines age and this year was another stand out.

MOUNT BARKER
Capel Vale Whispering Hill Vineyard has produced yet another stellar year of both Riesling and Shiraz. The quality is exceptional, reflecting both the season and the low yields.

MARGARET RIVER
Capel Vale Vineyard in Miamup Rd, Cowaramup, is now 10 years old and continues to produce exceptional red Bordeaux varietal fruit. All fruit was picked during the first week in April, approximately normal timing for this area.

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