In early March, the majority of the protective tubes were removed, and full pruning was carried out. Although this was later than usual, we wanted to avoid any early bud burst that could be damaged by frost.
The vines received a reasonable soaking in February, but from the start of spring through to the end of summer, the season turned out to be one of the driest on record. Nights remained quite cool, often dropping to between 1–3°C.
