Vintage 2008 provided an extraordinary array of varietal character and flavour throughout the vineyard, at Austins. As well, yields were up twenty per cent.

However, it was not an easy harvest.

Picking began on the last day of February, with chardonnay and pinot noir arriving at the winery with excellent acid to flavour ripeness; a feature of the vintage. In particular, the pinot noir showed the distinct aroma and flavour profile we have come to expect from the terroir, at Austins.

A sustained burst of heat, over several days, brought all varieties on together putting pressure on the winery; fruit picked early showed freshness and vitality while the grapes harvested later offered richness and generosity providing winemaker Scott Ireland with a wide range of blending options across the red varieties.

Richard Austin says, "the shiraz has a wonderful blueberry character first noticed in 2007. We see the emergence of this element as an indication of shiraz starting to come into it's own, in the region."

Scott Ireland adds, "I'm very confident about the wines we have made. In particular, the sixfootsix Pinot Noir is looking really good."