I don't think that any of us were anticipating the length of the vintage that hit us in 2004. Neil Whyte, our Head Oenologue responsible for both France and Australia, flew down at the end of February and didn't see home again until June. I'd flown down twice from France - once, before the UGC Tastings (traditionally the time that Bordeaux wines are presented to clients and press on a barrel-basis - and now our Australian wine recently bottled) and immediately afterwards with Lyn, en famille. But, if you're trying to capture the best of Southern Australia - the gnarled-vines producing classic reds from the Barossa Valley and the closer-spaced cool-climate vines producing crisp whites from the Adelaide Hills, then you have to assume that you'll hang around a bit.

We've been unlucky in 2003/4 in not being able to identify and purchase new blocks that we think are up to the level of Exile & Émigré. That's not to say that we haven't looked at any! This has been compensated by the fact that we have been able to get production on-stream again from 'Gunyah' Vineyard in the Eden Valley (see Vintage 2003) and our graftings of Shiraz onto a series of old white rootstocks (some up to 100 years old) at the 'Lange' Vineyard have come to fruition.

In addition we were lucky to source the 'Hunter's Road' block of two acres in the Piccadilly Valley region of the Adelaide Hills from where we are making our new Chardonnay - Exodus - to be introduced at the level of Émigré. Our green-harvesting of the crop from 36 bunches per vine to 6 amused the neighbours - but I believe that the proof will be "in the pudding" as we say in France!

The Colonial Estate series of wines 2003 vintage sold out before bottling, so this prompted us to double the production for the 2004 vintage. Obviously, this has put strains on all parties. Cyril Beziat and our new Australian Winery Manager, Scott Hazeldine, along with his Assistant, Robert Heywood, worked all hours to ensure that the harvest came in as it should. The problem with handpicking is that it's not conducive to speed!

After three years we are now making the same quantity of wine in Australia that we make in France. A lot of what we're doing in viticulture and vinification is normal in Saint Emilion but appears unique in South Australia. I suspect, however, that it'll no longer be unusual in a few years' time.