Vintage was in mid-season as far as timing went, starting in late March and finishing on the 3^rd May.  We had only 30mm of rain in April and providentially were missed by the deluges that hit Taranaki and Wanganui.  The relative merits of 1989 and 1990 compare to those of 1983 and 1982; 1989 and 1983, being years of drought giving intense, big weighted and slow developing wines; 1990 and 1992 giving more fruitiness and suppleness, slightly lower alcohols and mid to long term ageing capabilities.

1989 was a dry year.  There was scarcely any rain during a warm and early spring; we had intermittent showers over the week between Christmas and New Year, and then following a cool and cloudy but quite dry January no further rain until well after harvest.  The total rainfall for the 1^st October to 30^th April growing season was just over 110mm.  Vintage was almost a month earlier than average and finished on the 31^st March.

Certainly not as bad as made out by media who dismissed it well before harvest.  Fruity, forward wines, with good colours and flavours.  Chardonnay and reds may surprise with their quality.  Similar to ’80-’81.

Very good.  Low yields, intense colours and flavours with low pH’s.  Great cellaring wines with length and breadth of flavour.  A year where rain in February enabled fruit to ripen to full maturity without dehydrating.

A year of big crops and very forward, fruity wines, with rich flavours but lacking backbone and length.  Higher pH’s, especially in Chardonnay.  Therefore, not so much wines to keep, but very good current drinking.

Very good.  Great balance of rain and warmth right through growing season.  Wines of good colour, low pH musts and ample phenols.  Elegant wines of good keeping qualities.

Cool spring, summer. Late budburst and harvest.  Elegant wines, lacking a little weight in chardonnays and reds but elegant sauvignon blancs.

‘El Nino’.  A very dry and windy spring and a dry, dry summer and autumn.  Wines of intense flavour and colour that are very slow developers.

Very good.  Early budburst, a dry spring and warm weather until late March.  Heavy rain and strong winds in early April, but very clean crops and wines with good colour, fruit flavours and length.

Wines of bigger weight, higher phenol and extract levels than 1980.  Slower developers with generally lower pH’s.  A wet winter in 1980 followed by an early budburst and flowering and a warm summer, but a cool, unsettled picking season.