Happy Hour With Moorooroo | 2017 Vintage Report

2017 Vintage Report

As the release of new vintages of our flagship reds, Lotties Shiraz, Harries Grenache Shiraz and Samuel Nitschke Cabernets grow ever closer we thought we’d share with you what makes us so excited about our 2017 vintage wines.

The 2016-2017 growing year was an exciting one in the Barossa Valley. The Barossa 2017 Vintage Report explains why-

In stark contrast to the previous year, the 2016 growing season was one of the wettest on record. Annual (2016) rainfall was 750mm, over 150% of the long term average; winter was 143%, spring 198% and December 135% of average. The resulting wet soils, combined with a cooler than average spring and early summer meant the vines grew slowly but healthily.

As the grapes went through veraison in January and February 2017, Barossa experienced generally average temperatures and only two short bursts of high temperatures. Two well-timed rain events in late January and early February kept vines healthy and in no rush to ripen, with the rest of February remaining dry.

March saw the beginning of an Indian summer, which lasted until late April. This was perfect for consistent ripening of grapes, with good colour development and natural acidity. The average minimum and maximum temperatures for March were 2 to 3oC above average, followed by a notable shift to much cooler nights from late March onwards, which extended vintage for many into May.

Barossa’s 2017 Reds have been described by one winemaker as having “incredible length of flavour, full-bodied, yet fine. Not a boisterous year – rather one with exceptional elegance and poise”.
-Barossa Wine, Barossa 2017 Vintage Report

In James Halliday’s 2017 vintage snapshot he compared the 2017 vintage to the phenomenal 2002 vintage, highlighting the cool and late nature of both years. 

The recently sold out Moo Shiraz and our current vintage Moo Grenache are wonderful examples of the 2017 vintage. However, it’s our Lotties, Harries and Samuel Nitschke that we’re always most excited for. Each new vintage release feels like a re-discovery as we patiently wait through four years of barrel maturation and careful bottle ageing. Each year we’re grateful we waited, and the wait is almost over for our 2017 vintage slate!

Keep an eye out closely on our emails, socials and website for release dates. But if you can’t wait join us for our Lotties Masterclass tasting event for a pre-release sneak preview, find out more below.

Vintage 2017 in the Lotties vineyard

Moorooroo Masterclass Series | Lotties Past and Future
Friday, August 20th

Our very first Moorooroo Masterclass will take place on Friday, August 20th at 4:00 pm. This is one absolutely not to be missed, the theme: Lotties Past & Future. We’ll take you through back vintages from our personal collection as well as barrel samples from upcoming vintages. This means that you’ll have the opportunity to be the very first (aside from Wyndham of course) to taste future vintages of Lotties.

So join us on Friday, August 20th to experience what makes Lotties great in both the past and the future. We can’t wait for you to come on this journey with us.