DAFWA 2016 vintage summary
This year saw a continuation of the three trials undertaken last vintage.
The three trials consisted of:
- Assessing clonal variability in Chardonnay and Shiraz for future climate change
- Genomic basis of clonal variation in Cabernet sauvignon wine grapes
- Influence of crop load on Tempranillo wine quality
Other than logistical challenges of harvesting Chardonnay clones in Mount Barker and Shiraz clones in Margaret River on consecutive days, the vintage went smoothly for the DAFWA wine research team.
The number of batches and amount of fruit processed in 2016 is summarised in the following table.
Region | Variety | Treatment | Total kilograms |
Margaret River | Chardonnay | 5 clones | 500 |
Margaret River | Shiraz | 4 clones | 400 |
Great Southern | Chardonnay | 6 clones | 600 |
Margaret River | Cabernet Sauvignon | 4 clones | 120 |
Margaret River | Tempranillo | 3 crop loads | 45 |
| 1665 |
This vintage sees the completion of the winemaking component for the Chardonnay and Shiraz clones and Cabernet Sauvignon genomic variation trials. Wines produced from the 2016 vintage will be used for chemical and sensory analysis and also for industry workshops and tastings.