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697 Wollombi Road, Broke NSW
2330 - Australia
Our Wines
2023 Vintage
2021 and 2022 were challenging vintages, affected by significant rainfall and flooding in the Hunter Valley. Free of excessive rainfall, weather conditions for the 2023 vintage improved considerably. December and January where drier and sunnier than previous months with sunny conditions continuing into harvest.
The Central Ranges experienced high rainfall and a cooler spring climate. From December leading into harvest, the weather was dry and warm. These conditions during the final ripening were ideal for flavour, acid and tannin development.
2022 Vintage
2022 was a wet season in the Hunter region with over 180 millimetres of rain in February alone. Mild weather and cooler conditions delayed harvest until the sun and welcoming winds dried out the vineyards. All was not lost, as the longer season introduced excellent flavours, natural acids and complexity into the wines.
Vintage in Orange was cold, with temperatures never rising above 29 degrees. As a result, the harvest was pushed back to April which meant less stress on the vines and sunburn to the grapes. The slow ripening of grapes during autumn added wonderful aromas and flavours to the wines.
2021 Vintage
Most grape growers and wineries in New South Wales faced a difficult vintage in 2021 and Mudgee was no exception. Frequent heavy rains in the region threatened the quality of the crops and the fruit took longer to ripen. Despite the harvest being slow and steady, the final results yielded reasonable crops and clean grapes.
The Riverina region was largely unaffected by the heavy rainfall experienced by other parts of New South Wales and this allowed Cael’s Gate to continue producing their highly sought-after single vineyard wines. The cool night and warm days were the perfect growing environment for ripening grapes and the lack of disease and high sugar content contributed to a perfect harvest.
Riverina 2020
2020 was a year of uncertainty for many Australian winegrowers and presented a unique and challenging vintage. It was a year characterised by drought, bushfires and the threat of smoke tainting. Fortunately, the NSW Riverina region remained largely unaffected by smoke damage. The cool nights and warm days were ideal for ripening grapes. The lack of disease and high sugar readings provided the perfect harvest to produce high-quality wines.
Mudgee 2019
Our 2019 vintage delivered a high-quality wine, despite lower than expected yields. The Mudgee region experience a harsh, dry winter and spring and this created many challenges during the growing season. However, thanks to careful vineyard management, coupled with supplementary irrigation, the vines survived and thrived through this dry spell. Summer storms were welcomed as they provided much-needed relief and ensured the grapes could continue to ripen. The lower yield made it possible for us to focus on quality, not quantity.
Mudgee 2018
2018 was an outstanding vintage for Mudgee wines, despite the long dry spell in much of New South Wales. The Mudgee region was very fortunate with optimal rainfall in late December and early January. This provided a much-needed warm finish towards veraison (natural grape ripening process) which led to low disease and the ability to grow the grapes with responsible irrigation.