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The 2002 crop:
Man-made - nature would have made it sour
Initially the 2002 crop promised to be exceptional, but when Mother Nature interfered, many of the promises became very 'downy' indeed. The end result was therefore a 2002 harvest of extremes - whether with regard to the conditions that influenced the harvest, or the eventual quality of the wines. CHARL THERON gives his impressions of this year's wines, as they are looking at the moment.
Wine is a product of nature and man. Noah may have been the first to discover that wine could make itself, but to be able to make the best wines, both nature and man had to function optimally.
Charl Theron, convenor of the judging panels of both Veritas and the SA Young Wine Show, and chairman of the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Stellenbosch.
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It is no longer necessary to argue that the role of man is simply limited to that of winemaker. The saying that wine is made in the vineyard, is no longer an expression, but a reality. Man should therefore function optimally in the vineyard and in the cellar.
Except for the grape per se, the French term terroir probably expresses the comprehensive role of nature best. Although the literal restricting translation of terroir is the soil, it implies all side effects on the vineyard, namely subsoil, physical soil characteristics, sunlight absorption, slope, microclimate, etc. Which boils down to the 'working environment' of the vineyard.
What was the working environment like for the South African vine during the 2002 crop and the period leading up to it?
The 2001 winter in the local wine regions differed from previous years with regard to:
- a colder winter,
- winter rains occurring very late and
- cooler spring temperatures that eventually lasted until February 2002.
- These relatively ideal weather conditions from a quality point of view promised smaller berries with a more favourable skin:juice ratio and ripeness at a lower sugar content. The implications would be wines with good colour, balanced alcohol content, flavour composition and acid levels.
- The following factors had a negative impact on the crop, however:
- The late spring rains with accompanying high humidity enabled downy mildew to flourish and Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in particular were severely affected.
- The rains in early 2002 not only assisted the downy mildew even further, but also created favourable breeding conditions for rot and botrytis.
- The heatwave at the end of February put an end to the fungal growth, but as a result of the sudden increase in sugar content many grapes were pressed at an overripe stage.
- Just as suddenly as the heatwave had arrived, the cool autumn weather set in and the virus-affected late cultivars in particular, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, did not develop to full ripeness.
The challenge for viticulturists and winemakers was to benefit from or eliminate these natural influences by using their knowledge and expertise. How did this affect the 2002 wines?
The top Sauvignon Blancs are amongst the very best in recent years, but on the other hand, the majority of Sauvignon Blancs were disappointingly thin with the influence of botrytis in particular that influenced the wine's colour and unbalanced fullness. Grapes pressed during or after the February heatwave also contributed to this state of affairs. Pinkeining was widespread and methods to remove it, had to be well-considered and conceived.
More information about 2002 wines
The fifth edition of Wineland's SA Wine Industry Directory (2003) will be printed at the end of October. It contains the latest information about the 2002 wines, as well as almost 400 pages of facts and figures concerning the wine industry.
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Chardonnay wines in general show a shortage of flavour, although those made from selected grapes together with selective use of wood, look promising. Due to the reduced Chardonnay crop, especially as a result of downy mildew in the coastal region, wines from other regions had to supplement these shortages.
For non-cultivar white wines the lack of flavour in Chardonnay meant that Chenin Blanc and Colombar looked better.
In view of the urgent shortage of quality Cinsaut or other good quality standard red wines, the classic cultivars increasingly have to fill the shortage with a favourable quality:price ratio. This obviously requires adjustments to vinification techniques that were not yet visible this year.
Pinotage and early Merlot are looking very good, although the 2002 crop probably does not live up to the bigger expectations.
Shiaz survived extremely well despite the onslaughts and consequently good wines may be expected. Cabernet Sauvignon displayed extremes, similar to Sauvignon Blanc. The quality of the top wines is exceptional, but due to the inclement conditions, the quality of the run-of-the-mill wines is average.
It is therefore clear that the 2002 harvest was characterised by extremes, be it with regard to the conditions that played a role or the eventual quality of the wines. Top wines resulted from a combination of factors:
- A carefully planned spraying programme that kept up with the changes in conditions.
- The required crop control with unfavourable viticultural conditions being absent.
- Selection, whether as quality grading of the grapes in the vineyard, or upon receipt thereof - 2002 was definitely not a year for mechanically harvested grapes.
- Adjusted vinification techniques to cope with the existing or anticipated problems. 'Recipe' winemakers will remember 2002 as a nightmare if they did not adapt to changing conditions.
It would be logical, however, to ask in which measure wine shows may be an indication of specific vintage quality. The SA National Wine Show Association (SANW), who organises both the SANW Young Wine Show and Veritas, is far and away the most representative local wine show that may serve as such an indicator.
The SANW Young Wine Show winners do not necessarily end up as such in the bottle and may therefore be confusing from a consumer point of view, but it is definitely an indication of the primary basic quality of a specific vintage.
Veritas winners, on the other hand, are exactly what the consumer will experience in a bottle with a Veritas seal. Sensible interpretation of wine show winners is therefore obviously required. Keeping the above aspects in mind, the following comparisons are nevertheless interesting:
- In 2002 one gold medal, compared to four gold medals for Sauvignon Blanc (with or without wood) in 2001, was awarded at the Young Wine Show. At Veritas 2001 two double gold and two gold medals were awarded to 2001 wines, compared to five double gold and one gold for 2002 Sauvignon Blancs at Veritas 2002. These Veritas awards for 2001 and 2002 went to Coastal Region cellars exclusively.
- At the SANW Young Wine Shows in 2001 and 2002 nine and 18 gold medals respectively were awarded for Chardonnay. Veritas 2001 and 2002 awarded five double gold and gold (for 2001 wines) awards respectively and the same number of double gold and gold medals (for 2002 wines). 2002 Chardonnay wines of premium quality are still likely to be in wooden barrels and it would therefore be an error to judge the 2002 Chardonnays on the available facts.
- Red wines of true quality will not be marketed in the year of production and the SANW Young Wine Show awards are therefore purely interesting.
| Number of Gold Medals Awarded |
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2001 |
2002 |
| Cabernet Sauvignon |
5 |
12 |
| Pinotage |
11 |
8 |
| Shiraz |
16 |
16 |
| Merlot |
14 |
9 |
In conclusion it can thus be said that if 2002 wines are bought selectively at certain cellars, the following wines could be outstanding:
- A few exceptional unwooded 2002 Sauvignon Blancs.
- Chardonnays that are only released when they reach maturity in 2003.
- Chenin Blanc from cellars who have proven that they are able to make the most of the fruitiness of these wines and are marketing them this year.
- Botrytis wines prepared as special late harvest or noble late harvest wines.
- Merlot and Shiraz that obtained the best from the advantages of the 2002 season due to planned cellar management and managed the disadvantages successfully.
- Pinotage is currently unpredictable and will have to be monitored to project its potential.
- Cabernet Sauvignon, which is showing a lot of potential despite all the negative influences, but buyers will have to be patient in order to identify these wines.
Meanwhile Sawis reports that the 2002 crop is estimated at 829,1 million gross litres (2001: 746,5) or 1 078 928 tons, which is 10,38% more than last year. Drink wine sales by producers are estimated to increase by 6,5%, taking into account the current domestic and foreign sales trends.
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