Late spring, however, saw temperatures rise and the region fell into the grips of a vicious heatwave, before a baking hot summer arrived. Although conditions were dry, there was enough residual water in the soil to stave off the worst effects of drought. To combat drought, producers were also able to utilize clever canopy management as well as effective irrigation, however, some fruit was inevitably lost and yields were down.

Although more time is needed for a full report, it is likely that the vintage will be smaller than usual, however, the fruit is likely to be richly concentrated. It could well transpire to be a very fine vintage, even if it does come in a small package. (Excerpted from Wine-Searcher.com