The viticulutural season began with a very wet winter. January and February were colder than normal resulting in a late bud burst. Cool, wet conditions continued until just prior to flowering on 25th May. 
Flowering took place in hot weather and, when combined with the large number of inflorescences at bud burst, resulted in the largest potential yields since 1900.
There was a considerable amount of rainfall in September which caused many people to start picking. However, strong winds and hot weather followed (between the 27-30th September), which dried out the bunches and allowed the grapes to ripen fully. 
This was reflected in a marked improvement in all ports produced from 29th September onwards.