A mild and quite dry winter lead into a long cool spring. Vineyards were slow to spring to life as soil temperatures remained low and sunshine was scarce. Around the middle of December the summer switch was flicked and days became warm and dry. Vine leaves moved from pale to dark green as they soaked up the summer rays ripening the small clusters as they moved from inflorescences to grapes. Although flowering was a little later than usual, progress was made, and by harvest the grapes contained juice with early season freshness and late season richness.