Margaret River 2023 Chardonnay vintage rating: 5+/5

A ‘perfect’ year for Chardonnay, unanimously considered to be one of the greatest vintages of the past decade.

Chardonnay 2023

If 2022 was a great year for Margaret River Chardonnay, then 2023 proved to be exceptional, thanks to consistent quality across the board.

Wineries that craft reliably excellent wines continued to do so, while ‘solid’ producers were gifted brilliant conditions to elevate their wines.

From a total of 73 wines submitted for tasting, an astonishingly high proportion achieved gold medal level (95-points in Decanter terms) or higher.

And while we can only publish a selection of them here, it’s worth noting that few entries were lower than a silver (90-94pts).

I don’t consider myself a generous scorer, but I’ve given these wines multiple passes and found them expressive, powerful, textural and complex, with persistence and an excellent line of fruit.

Looking for nuance

Undoubtedly, the 2023 Chardonnays are some of the Margaret River region’s best yet – and it’s a vibrant vintage in its youth. I’ve tasted some of these previously, and they’ve unfurled further with just a few more months in bottle.

While many possess fruit sweetness, delicacy and power, in tasting them I was particularly on the lookout for nuance.

Chardonnay is often referred to as a ‘winemaker’s grape’ for good reason, so a diversity of style is justified, as long as there is respect for the fruit, a sense of place in the wine, balance, harmony and clarity.

Margaret River doesn’t struggle for acidity (especially when the Gingin clone is concerned), and philosophies vary on malolactic fermentation, oak regimes and the use of solids in the winemaking process.

Regardless of philosophy, the techniques and choices in the winery should enhance rather than distract, and integrate to complete the wine’s story.

The greatest iterations have an unbreakable harmony and seamlessness to them.

Decanter vintage ratings – Margaret River Chardonnay

2022 5/5: A fantastic year on the warmer side. Effortless, though picking dates proved crucial and yields varied.

2021 4/5: The best wines are outstanding, however there were challenges with rain events and labour shortages due to COVID-19 which didn’t ensure a smooth vintage for all.

2020 5/5: An early, warm, and dry vintage with little disease or pest pressure. Low yields and high quality meant allocations were tight for those in demand.

2019 4/5: A late vintage and little Marri blossom proved challenging for yields, however cooler conditions favoured Chardonnay with intense fruit and acid retention.

2018 4/5: A classic, warm and dry year, providing long hang time. Cabernet Sauvignon really shone this year, but Chardonnay wasn’t far behind.

Conditions & comparisons

While Margaret River is lucky to enjoy a relatively consistent Mediterranean-type climate, the term ‘dream vintage’ has been used by multiple winemakers for 2023. ‘It’s probably one of the standout vintages of the last 25 years,’ says Larry Cherubino of Cherubino Wines.

Growing conditions were near perfect, with even flowering, consistent fruit set and moderate summer temperatures allowing gentle and even ripening.

There were no weather events, there was low disease and pest pressure, decent yields, a wet spring and well-timed top-up rains.

In comparison to other recent vintages, Cliff Royale of Flametree Wines explains: ‘2022 sits just behind 2023 (see vintage box below). Not because it wasn’t good, just because 2023 was exceptional.’

‘We’ve had three great vintages in a row – 2021, 2022, 2023 – ascending in terms of concentration of fruit and balance,’ adds Vanya Cullen of Cullen Wines (pictured, below).

‘2023 had elegance, balance and fruit power, and was great straight away. Whereas 2022 was more reserved.’

‘2023 was a graceful vintage,’ concludes Phil Hutchison, Leeuwin Estate. ‘I think it showcases this beautiful fruit purity, beautiful aromatics.

‘It’s one of those vintages that is going to be talked about a lot more down the track. It will easily be in the top five of the last 20 years, without doubt.’

Looking ahead

Margaret River is a wine region that produces two per cent of the nation’s total wine production, yet this is almost all premium production.

There’s no question that Margaret River is a name that should shine on the international stage.

However, let’s remember that premium does not equal heavy. One evolution I would like to see continue is that of lighter bottles on the tasting table.

While several wineries have made the jump to lightweight, there is scope for the figure to increase substantially in the coming years.

Click here for more reviews of the Margaret River 2023 Chardonnays

Margaret River 2023 Chardonnay

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Barossa Shiraz 2023 vintage rating: 4/5

Despite challenges, growers who paid careful attention to their vines enjoyed superb grapes from the 2023 harvest. After steady winter rains, spring was one of the wettest on record, though timely spraying averted threats of downy mildew.

There were no sustained summer heatwaves; cooler weather and large vine canopies saw veraison occur during February, delaying the Barossa’s 2023 vintage by up to four weeks. Shiraz usually harvested in mid-February was picked from mid-March.

However, slow ripening produced complex flavours in grapes, with red wines showing intense, rich and balanced flavours and colours. While crop volumes varied across the region, the total Barossa yield (red and white) was slightly above average at 73,160 tonnes.

Scroll down for David’s top-scoring wines from the 2023 Barossa Shiraz releases

Capturing heightened elegance in Barossa Shiraz comes with confidence – and a cooler, longer vintage in 2023 has certainly helped a raft of winemakers embrace this evolving style.

This vintage presented challenges, especially to obtain optimal ripeness at the highest elevations. It required great attention in the vineyard, especially to escape fungal disease due to cooler temperatures.

But smart vignerons – led by Alkina, Michael Hall, The Cutting and Head Wines – took great care to place specific attention on individual grape parcels, applying multiple winemaking techniques to achieve superior results.

Shifting style

Decanter published its first Barossa Shiraz Vintage Report for the 2022 vintage and noted that a shift in winemaking style was gaining a foothold.

The best wines captured a leanness and nimbleness that defied a lingering perception of heavyweight Barossa Shiraz with high alcohol and super-ripe fruit.

This change in direction has now gained traction.

The 2023 vintage provided the right environment for Barossa winemakers to explore these ideas further. From the 89 submissions for this vintage report, a broad league of wines shows subtle and complex marriages of flavour and texture.

With less insistence on shouting, subtleties were allowed to speak with increased clarity.

This is a great achievement by modern Barossa producers. More detailed understanding of terroir, greater care for the fragility of ancient vines and increased responsiveness to climatic changes have translated to expressive wines that clearly reflect their environment.

Terroir expression

‘We are seeing terroir inform the winemaking required to make the best wines,’ says Alex Head, winemaker at Head Wines, who sources fruit from 15 privately owned Barossa vineyards. ‘Hard work in the winery has resulted in wines of really interesting texture from the 2023 vintage.’

Once, the Barossa’s quandary was whether to maintain tradition by making hefty Shiraz of imposing depth and power, or to embrace more slimline contemporary tastes.

It’s pleasing that the current direction respects old-vine intensity while also championing understated elegance and refined beauty.

Shiraz from the 2023 vintage shows impressive consistency from the top tier of producers. Expect pretty perfumes as a consequence of cooler temperatures, along with complex texture aided by supple, lithe tannins.

Many of these wines seem slightly shy now, but the best have an unforced elegance that won’t fade with time.

Names to know

Rising high above the ordinary are a suite of meticulous wine producers, led by Alkina, Michael Hall, John Duval and Alex Head, along with boutique producers including Belinda van Eyssen from The Cutting.

Impressive new faces are producing wines of the highest order. They include Jack Scholz, taking over the reins at The Willows Vineyard. Young winemaker Samantha Chandra is focusing on distinctive single vineyard expressions with her solo project Setiono.

While Nick Radford is making notable advances at Mirus Vineyards in the Marananga subregion.

With a nod to classic style, Henschke notably demonstrates the craft of careful blending with Henry’s Seven, a wine that achieves a high degree of sophistication.

Shiraz from the Barossa Valley floor is co-fermented with Viognier pressings, and just the right addition of Grenache and Mataro, to achieve ideal balance.

‘Any wines that are focused on expressing region, place and site are showing especially well from the 2023 vintage,’ concludes Alkina winemaker Amelia Nolan. ‘And for that reason, we regard 2023 as a fabulous year.’

Barossa: The facts

Founded: 1842

Vineyards: 14,236ha under vine, with 11,847ha in the Barossa Valley (elevation 112-597m) and 2,389ha in the adjacent Eden Valley (elevation 217-637m). This represents 9.7% of Australia’s total wine production.

Climate: hot and dry. Barossa average rainfall 160mm; Eden Valley average rainfall 280mm. Mean temperatures during the key January growing period are 21.4℃ in Barossa and 19.4℃ in Eden Valley.

Vine age: Barossa has the oldest producing Shiraz vines in the world, planted in 1843. 283ha of vines are more than 70 years of age; 82ha are more than 125 years old.

Barossa Shiraz 2023: The top 40 wines

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For Decanter’s inaugural Margaret River vintage report, producers were asked to submit wines from the 2021 vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnays from 2022, which were all then tasted blind.

While the 2022 whites shone, the 2021 reds reflected the cooler and somewhat challenging vintage conditions many faced, including unusual February rainfall.

Should a wine score be indicative of what’s typically expected of the region and variety, or is it fairer and more useful to look at the wine with fresh eyes and no preconceived ideas?

There are champions for both approaches; mine here is not to reprimand wines that don’t speak of typicity, if the hallmarks of a great wine are nonetheless there to be found.

Scroll down to see notes and for the leading Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines from the 2021 and 2022 vintages in Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Ask any Cabernet Sauvignon winemaker from Margaret River how 2021 was and it’s unlikely you’ll receive the same answer twice. Conditions in the Western Australian region were challenging, so sub-regional variation is evident in the resulting wines.

While not being official GIs (geographical indications), six sub-regions – (north to south) Yallingup, Carbunup, Wilyabrup, Treeton, Wallcliffe and Karridale – were proposed in a 1999 paper by the late Dr John Gladstones, a major pioneering influence in the region from the mid-1960s.

In light of the soil and climate differences upon which these six areas were delineated, marginal years such as 2021 highlight that it is impossible to paint the Margaret River appellation with broad strokes.

The Margaret River Wine Association lists 181 wineries producing a Margaret River GI wine, yet just 38 Cabernet Sauvignons were submitted to the tasting for this report.

‘A lot came down to the late stages in April 2021, with the moisture from the early morning dews. If you didn’t have vines set up with good exposure there was disease risk and difficulty ripening,’ says Eloise Jarvis, a consultant winemaker in the region.

Cabernet markers

A classic Margaret River Cabernet is medium-bodied, with firm tannins, energetic acidity, elegant perfume and generous black fruits, cassis, a mint or eucalyptus note, perhaps an umami edge on the palate and a delicate graphite thread.

The majority of 2021s sat firmly in the mid-bodied category, but with more red fruit than black, and many were paler in colour intensity than usual.

2021 is certainly a year that required more work and attention in the vineyard than usual to ensure fruit ripeness, with southern sub-regions facing the most marginal conditions.

Some well-regarded wineries chose not to produce their top cuvée. From those that did, there is beauty to be found.

To see all 70 of Cassandra Charlick’s Chardonnay recommendations click here, and for her 36 Cabernet Sauvignon wines to try here

Instead of intensity and concentration, there’s a finer-boned structure with bright acidity and delicate perfume leading to long-lived wines of complexity, nuance and elegance in the cellar.

‘The 2021 is a more elegant style of Cabernet based on the cooler season,’ says Hugh Mugford, winemaker and viticulturist at Moss Wood. ‘A strong acid backbone will allow it to evolve really well to the secondary characteristics after the 20-year mark.’

At Vasse Felix, chief winemaker Virginia Willcock agrees: ‘I love the more elegant vintages; they age a bit better and more slowly.’

The greatest wines here shine brightly, showing complexity, elegance and finesse, and they will age for a good 20 years or longer.

Margaret River: Decanter vintage ratings

Cabernet Sauvignon

2021: A cooler year with summer rain events proving challenging for some producers, especially those in the southern sub-regions. Still, wines of beauty and understated elegance from those who were proactive in vineyard management 3/5

2020: 5/5

2019: 3/5

2018: 5/5

2017: 4/5

Chardonnay

2022: A fantastic year, on the warmer side. Effortless, though picking dates proved crucial and yields varied 5/5

2021: 4/5

2020: 5/5

2019: 4/5

2018: 4/5

Chardonnay 2022

Meanwhile, there’s no doubt that 2022 was a great year for Margaret River Chardonnay. The Chardonnay tasting for this report drew in almost double the entries of the Cabernet section: a chasm that demonstrates the respective vintage conditions.

Thanks to a Mediterranean climate with maritime influence and ancient, well-draining soils, Margaret River Chardonnay is consistently among the greatest white wines of Australia.

2022 saw a long and wet winter with bud burst [typically occurring about mid-September] late by a week or two compared with the previous year, but a warm summer with a few heat spikes that ensured a fast harvest.

Indeed, at Xanadu Wines, chief winemaker Glenn Goodall recalls that, ‘in 2022 our Chardonnay picking window, for all Margaret River vineyards, was 14 days’, compared with 26 days in 2023.

‘Things ripened quickly in 2022, not just due to weather, but due to low yields,’ Goodall explains. This summer warmth shows in a measured opulence and intensity in the wines.

Julian Langworthy, Deep Woods Estate’s chief winemaker, comments: ‘After the cool but wet 2021 vintage, 2022 was one of our warmer vintages. Vine health was quite high without much disease pressure. There’s a lovely ripeness in the Chardy, but it’s not forced. It was a season that had a tight picking window – if you hit it you were well rewarded with expressive yet rich, poised wines.’

Gingin has its say

The low-yielding Gingin clone is foundational to the identity of Margaret River Chardonnay. ‘The 2022 Chardies are built to last due to intensity and acidity,’ says Goodall. ‘They have a long future ahead of them that is largely attributed to the phenolic structure of Gingin.’

There were no issues with ripening in 2022, so there was little need to utilise malolactic fermentation for adding flesh to the bones. There is a general trend towards larger-format oak and less use of new oak, however some outstanding producers still use a significant proportion of new oak, seamlessly integrating it with high-quality fruit to produce wines of immense longevity.

If there is one takeaway from this 2022 vintage report, it is that quality is consistent. With no appellation rules and much site diversity, Margaret River’s producers are constantly keen to learn more and create the best possible expression of Chardonnay in its Western Australian home.

The top wines exude harmony while expressing place and brimming with excitement, whether their personality charms or challenges.

Margaret River: 40 of the best from 2021 and 2022

Wines are ordered by colour then score.

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Barossa Shiraz 2022 overall vintage Rating: 4/5

A strong vintage with fruit of superb quality despite small yields. Winter rains nourished the vines, but frost, hail and wind events affected bunch sizes and reduced yields. Summer was cooler than usual; grapes ripened slowly and steadily in ideal conditions. The longer ripening period produced more nuanced, complex flavour profiles.

If you think you know all about Barossa Shiraz, think again. The historic South Australian wine region leapt to international prominence in the 1990s for the sunny generosity and driving power of its old-vine Shiraz. But the 2022 vintage shows things are changing. Significantly.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for wines rated 94 and above

The best new wines from the Barossa have a leanness and nimbleness that belies a long-held stereotype of Shiraz behemoths labouring under the weight of high alcohol and super-ripe fruit. Now, alcohol levels have dipped, palates have lively middle-weight verve and an understated elegance draws you deeper into the charm of these wines.

The 2022 vintage – a strong vintage with fruit of superb quality despite small yields – provides a fascinating viewpoint to observe this transition in motion. The stars of Decanter’s inaugural vintage report on the region have cast the profile of outstanding Barossa Shiraz in a fresh light.

Vintage conditions

Coming on the heels of the esteemed 2021 vintage, grapes from 2022 have produced superb wines, despite some vintage challenges. Strong winter rains during 2021 continued into spring, giving great nourishment to the vines, but this good news was tempered by damaging pockets of frost plus fierce hail and wind events during flowing that affected bunch sizes and reduced yields.

Summer was cooler than usual, but forecasted rains never happened, so the grapes ripened slowly and steadily in ideal conditions. Warm, sunny days and cool nights stretched into early autumn, and the longer ripening period produced more nuanced, complex flavour profiles in the grapes.

Despite its late conclusion, the 2022 vintage produced an ideal set of circumstances for Barossa winemakers to highlight important stylistic changes they have made in handling the finest quality Shiraz grapes.

An evolution of style

The most exciting wines are far removed from the Barossa’s historical ‘reserve’ styles, so prevalent in the early 2000s. At that time winemakers seemed obliged to focus on concentration, the strong use of new oak and strident tannin profiles – often with grapes ill-equipped to handle such assertive treatment.

There was a misguided belief that powerful fruit from old Shiraz vines could only be fully expressed with maximum ripeness, with all those inflated grape sugar levels being converted into high alcohol.

The best new-style Barossa Shiraz shows that notion to be a fallacy. Winemakers using components of whole bunch fermentation have added crucial vitality, pretty perfumes and energy to the depth of old vine complexity. Fruit is being picked earlier, to retain more sharply defined acids that amplify clean flavours.

Suddenly, there’s dramatic contrast at play – a rigorous pull between red and black flavour profiles, as lithe and luscious textures wrestle with tannic grip – proving that more Barossa winemakers have found smart ways to express intense old vine flavours with greater nuance and poise.

Click here to see all the wines tasted for this report

Producers to watch

Several of the most compelling 2022 Shiraz interpretations are provided by people who have come from outside the Barossa. They include Michael Hall, who evaluated jewellery in Switzerland before devoting himself to making wine in France, then in the Barossa; as well as Alex Head, of Head Wines, from Sydney.

Thistledown’s Masters of Wine Giles Cooke MW and Fergal Tynan MW are UK-based. While Alkina winemaker Amelia Nolan, from Wrattonbully, also spent several decades in the UK wine trade.

Alkina proprietor Alejandro Bulgheroni is from Argentina. Belinda van Eyssen from South Africa is emerging as a striking new talent with The Cutting winery.

Their keen perspective on refined wines of elegance underscores that great Barossa fruit is an asset that shines when treated with tender care, rather than labouring under unnecessary hefty weight.

It’s therefore encouraging to also see stalwarts including Torbreck, Kaesler and Hentley Farm lighten the load of their Shiraz without sacrificing power and persistence. Greenock Creek is also in transition to embrace a more restrained style.

Other Barossans are looking at Shiraz afresh, from the vineyard rootstock up. Winemaker Dan Eggleton, whose Ben Murray Wines Shiraz 2022 is impressive for the lively appeal of its powerful old vine fruit, is now working with grower Matt Neldner to explore different Shiraz clones in greater detail.

They are making small parcels of wine from the 2023 vintage from five different Shiraz clones (R6, 1653, 1125, SAVVI60, PT23), all sourced from the same terroir in the Barossa’s Marananga sub-region.

Barossa: the facts

Founded: 1842

Vineyards: 14,236ha under vine, with 11,847ha in the Barossa Valley (elevation 112m-597m) and 2,389ha in the adjacent Eden Valley (elevation 217m-637m). This represents 9.7% of Australia’s total wine production.

Climate: dry and hot. Barossa average rainfall 160mm; Eden Valley average rainfall 280mm. Mean temperatures during the key January growing period: 21.4℃ in Barossa, 19.4℃ in Eden Valley.

Vine age: Barossa has the oldest producing Shiraz vines in the world planted in 1843. 283ha of vines are more than 70 years of age; 82ha are more than 125 years old.

The 30 top-scoring 2022 Barossa Shiraz

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drink soon

Challenging harvest heat and rain in eastern half of continent, while plain sailing in Western Australia. Inconsistent quality but some fine examples across the appellations – going on four stars.

3/5

Weather Conditions

Invigorating spring rains, warm summer days, evenly-ripened fruit – all was poised for a perfect vintage. But just as growers began harvesting later-ripening red varietals in eastern Australia, a brutal, 15-day heatwave caused mayhem. Its epicentre was the key South Australia appellations around Adelaide (Clare, Barossa, McLaren Vale etc) but the heat extended into Victoria and NSW.

Sugar levels rocketed, grapes shrivelled. Growers scrambled to pick outstanding red parcels (particularly Cabernet Sauvignon) but fermentation tanks were full and the last of the fruit remained on the vine or came in just too concentrated. Harvest ended abruptly, a month earlier than forecast.

Coastal Victoria remained cooler, while to the north of NSW Hunter Valley and Mudgee vineyards were deluged ahead of picking: grapes swelled and split, rot took hold and yields dropped up to 85% in places. Western Australia had it easy by comparison: low yields but a benign vintage and good results were achieved relatively easily.

Best Appellations

Picked pre heatwave, South Australia Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are beautifully fruity, even glossily opulent if not especially muscular.

McLaren Vale, Barossa and Clare Valley Shiraz are complex, rich and fragrant. Southern Fleurieu Shiraz has great intensity, while Limestone Coast’s Wrattonbully is particularly savoury, with ripe, chewy tannins. Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is outstanding – intense colour, seductive aromatics, dark fruit flavours, fine tannins; Clare Valley’s intensely fruity.

From Western Australia, Margaret River Cabernet excels – classic herby, cedar and violet flavours – while Frankland River is more redcurranty. Frankland’s Shiraz is equally stylish, as are those from Victoria’s Pyrenees region.

There’s some finesse in Yarra Valley Pinot Noirs, with their bright fruit and strawberry nuances, while Tasmania Pinot Noirs offer enticing aromas, dark spice aromatics and silky tannins. Barossa Pinot Noir grapes beat the heatwave and there are fine examples.

Best Producers

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: McLaren Vale – Nugan Estate, Angove Family Vineyards, Pieri, Wakefield, Primo Estate, Battle of Bosworth Wines, Chapel Hill, D’Arenberg, Dowie Doole, Ekhidna, Fox Creek, Gemtree, La Curio, Leconfield; Barossa Valley – Glaetzer Wines, Two Hands Wines, John Duval, Fetish, Dandelion Vineyards, Yalumba, Kies Family Wines, McGuigan, Running With Bulls; Southern Fleurieu: Tapanappa; Coonawarra – Leconfield. Hollick; Clare Valley – Jim Barry, Wakefield; Adelaide Hills – Shaw and Smith; WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Margaret River – Fermoy Estate, Xanadu, Fraser Gallop Estate, Voyager Estate; Great Southern – Howard Park, Palandri; NSW: Hunter Valley – McWilliam’s; Hilltops – Hungerford Hill, Moppity Vineyards; VICTORIA: McPherson Wines, Bindi; Yarra Valley – Oakridge, Seville Estate; Mornington Peninsula – Yabby Lake Vineyard.

keep

Classic Australian reds showing clear varietal character offer good value for money this year given the country’s current wine glut

4/5

Weather Conditions

After last year’s drought, the weather was generally good across the board in 2004 with growers reporting good rain and low levels of disease.

‘We’ve had good winter rains, good spring rains and they’re probably looking as good right through all our regions as they have for the last two or three years, so good, healthy vines – all that goes well for good quality fruit,’ said Western Australian Wine Industry Association president, John Griffiths.

Although production levels of red wine in 2004 may not be quite as high as predicted, Australia will still have to contend with glut and oversupply. Although the quantity harvested fell below the Australian Wine and Brandy Council’s original prediction of 1.85m tonnes, the actual volume of production is given at 1.755m tonnes and this did little to calm fears of leaving next year’s crop on the vine to rot.

Best Appellations

Yarra Valley, Margaret River and Coonawarra.

Best Producers

drink soon

A very good year for premium reds, particularly Barossa Shiraz, which shows rich concentration and ripeness

4/5

Weather Conditions

After significant rain in the winter and spring, a scorching summer came with record temperatures. Then, in February and March, rains followed. Heat stress and delayed ripening from the rain meant those vineyards that managed their canopies well to prevent sunburn and heat stress as well as those that cropped for lower yields produced the best fruit. Also vineyards with older root systems fared best, withstanding the heat stress better than younger properties. Given the conditions, it was not a great year for Pinot Noir, but quite a favourable one for Shiraz and in some cases Cabernet Sauvignon.

Best Appellations

Barossa Valley, Riverland, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Langhorne Creek, and Padthaway

Best Producers

keep

A great vintage and the best for Hunter Valley wines since 1991; yields were low, following drought

5/5

Weather Conditions

Unquestionably a great vintage, the reputation of 1998 seems to be enhanced with the release of each major wine. It’s early days and while standout Australian reds like Grange and Hill of Grace are still some time away from release, there’s every indication that 1998 could well be rated as the best Australian red wine vintage of modern times, possibly even since 1962. It appears to have married the sheer concentration of another top warm-to-hot year in 1990 with the fineness and purity of fruit flavour of 1994. Essentially a vintage that constantly bordered on drought but just managed to receive sufficient rainfall to enable the vines to bring their fruit safely to near-perfect ripening, it was a season which began and finished early and whose wines show great potential for bottle development.

Best Appellations

It rarely happens this way but as far as 1998 is concerned, virtually all Australian wine regions had the opportunity to produce their best wine. Particular highlights are Coonawarra reds, especially merlot, while shiraz from the traditional South Australian regions of the Barossa Valley, Clare and McLaren Vale are exceptional. Crammed with typical richness and opulent intensity of fruit, the best manage a restraint and elegance which is totally beguiling. Never have Australian winemakers had a better combination of ripe fruit and tannin to work on. While some rain made life marginally more difficult for younger Margaret River vineyards, even the Hunter Valley had an unusually rain-free vintage that helped fashion some classic wines.

Best Producers

While many of the best 1998 reds are yet to be released, the selection to date has been astonishing. From Coonawarra have come great cabernet-based reds from Petaluma, Parker, Katnook Estate, Majella, some of the best Australian merlots yet seen from Petaluma and Pepper Tree, plus silky-smooth shirazes from Zema Estate, Majella and Bowen Estate. The Barossa and McLaren Vale have turned out dark, savoury shirazes from Grant Burge (a great Meshach) and Coriole (a spectacular Lloyd Reserve), while the Tim Adams Aberfeldy Shiraz takes Clare Valley shiraz to a new level. Brokenwoods Graveyard does something similar for the Hunter. From the cooler south eastern regions have come outstanding pinot noirs from Bass Phillip, Lenswood Vineyards, TarraWarra, Domaine A and Massoni, while some of the best-kept secrets in cooler-climate shiraz are the wines from Dalwhinnie (Pyrenees), Clonakilla (Canberra), Bests (Great Western) and Mount Ida (Heathcote). And perhaps the best of them all? The outrageously elegant and silky Cullen Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot from Margaret River.

drink now

Erratic conditions reduced yields and dramatically compromised quality

2/5

Weather Conditions

Despite a perfect lead-up to summer and emerging expectations that the record levels of quantity and quality set in 1996 might even be bettered, erratic conditions thereafter reduced yields and dramatically compromised quality. Yields were never likely to be high after the very cool 1996 ripening season, which promoted very low bud fruitfulness. Spring had been healthy, soil moisture levels were adequate after a very wet winter, but the early to mid stages of the growing season were punctuated by rains which then gave way to an extremely long, hot, dry summer in January and February, even by Australian standards. In some warmer regions this caused greatly accelerated sugar ripeness well in advance of ripe fruit flavours, while in others it had the negative impact of actually slowing ripeness, as vines simply shut up shop in a bid to survive the heat. A cooler March and steadily warm April saved the day for several regions, but by then it was too late for many vineyards.

Best Appellations

The best 1997 Australian reds tended to come from the cooler regions like the Yarra Valley, the Pyrenees, Heathcote and Margaret River. Pinot noirs from the cool Victorian regions of the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and Macedon can be exceptional. South Australia had the worst of the conditions and makers in the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley generally struggled to make wines of their usual ripeness. Typical of many are an unusual combination of vegetative under-ripe and porty over-ripe flavours in the same wine. The southeast of South Australia fared particularly poorly, especially Coonawarra, most of whose reds fall well below its average benchmark.

Best Producers

Since it wasnt much of a shiraz year in the warmer regions, the best examples came from cooler vineyards like Dalwhinnie and Taltarni (Pyrenees), Clonakilla (Canberra), Yering Station (Yarra Valley) and Craiglee (Sunbury). Other fine shirazes made despite the climatic difficulties are Tim Adams The Aberfeldy from Clare, Mamre Brook and Penfolds inaugural RWT (Barossa Valley) and Rosemount Estates Mountain Blue from Mudgee. Petaluma defied the odds with an exceptional Coonawarra Merlot and Coonawarra red blend. Some first-rate Mornington Peninsula pinot noir was made by Main Ridge Estate, Stoniers and Paringa Estate, while Bannockburn (Geelong), Bindi (Macedon), Yeringberg (Yarra Valley), Bass Phillip (Gippsland) and Ashton Hills (Adelaide Hills) performed equally well with this variety.

keep

Erratic conditions reduced yields and dramatically compromised quality

4/5

Weather Conditions

Most of the Australian continent experienced an excellent but late vintage that began after an unusually cool summer, retarding ripening and harvest. Most regions were then able to escape the early onset of cooler and wetter autumnal weather, but winter made an early appearance in several of the cooler regions in the countrys southeast, especially the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula. Victorian regions north and west of the Great Divide like the Pyrenees, Grampians and Great Western enjoyed exceptional if late seasons, while on the opposite side of the continent conditions were generally too cool for top-drawer red wines. The state to fare best was certainly South Australia, where each of the major red wine regions, especially the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, produced long-living and balanced wines.

Best Appellations

Standout regions in 1996 were clearly the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra (especially with the cabernet varieties) and the warmer regions in western and central Victoria. The wines are typically more elegant than usual, but those vineyards able to ripen fully produced wines of both density and fineness. Coonawarra certainly had one of its best cabernet vintages in a decade of generally good seasons, and even the Hunter Valley produced ripe flavours and some richness in its shiraz. The under-rated NSW region of Mudgee had its best season for some years.

Best Producers

Not infrequently its possible to measure the standard of an Australian red wine vintage by the Penfolds reds released from the year in question and this was certainly one of those occasions. From the stupendously concentrated and robust Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon to the Koonunga Hill, this was an exceptional release, even by Penfolds standards. Enthusiasts of Coonawarra cabernet should delight in wines like Orlando Jacaranda Ridge, Parker Terra Rossa First Growth, Rosemount Estate Show Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Highbank Coonawarra. First-rate McLaren Vale reds included the Rosemount Balmoral and Show Shiraz labels, Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz, dArenbergs Dead Arm Shiraz, Woodstocks The Stocks and Corioles Lloyd Reserve. Other reds of note were the Bests Thomson Family Shiraz (Great Western), Jim Barrys The Armagh (Clare) and Rosemount Estates exceptional and bony Mountain Blue Shiraz Cabernet from Mudgee.

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A poor year in the Barossa but very good in New South Wales and Western Australia

3/5

Weather Conditions

A dry winter and spring preceded a warm, wet January over the south eastern grape growing regions. February and March were generally dry but not especially warm. Later varieties like cabernet sauvignon had more difficulty than shiraz in the warmer areas like the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, while summer remained relatively mild, if dry in the cooler areas of Victoria. Just to prove how far from the east coast it actually is, Margaret River experienced a very warm, dry season which presented no difficulties at all in the ripening department.

Best Appellations

A largely disappointing season, 1995 did however have its highlights in western cabernet and eastern shiraz. Foremost are the cabernet sauvignon-based reds of Margaret River, which achieved exceptional structure and concentration. Next are some deeply flavoured, dark and almost inky shirazes from McLaren Vale, which made a better fist of the conditions than the Barossa Valley, despite one or two excellent Barossa shirazes. The warmer Victorian regions in the centre and towards the west of the state such as the Pyrenees, Great Western and Heathcote also produced some exceptional shirazes. Against the trend, the Yarra Valley even turned out some deeply flavoured cabernet blends of elegance and finesse.

Best Producers

Cullens distinctive and atypically concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot heads the list of stellar Western Australian cabernets from 1995, narrowly but clearly heading off excellent wines from Moss Wood, Voyager Estate and Devils Lair in Margaret River and Frankland Estates Olmos Reward from the Great Southern. Amongst some truly exceptional McLaren Vale shirazes whose vintage quality was a distinctive and almost sour edge to their dark cherry and plum fruit flavours, were superb wines under these labels: Rosemount Balmoral Syrah, Kays Block 6, Clarendon Hills, Coriole Lloyd Reserve and Maglieri Steve Maglieri Reserve. The best shirazes from the rest of Australia were Grant Burges Meshach and Peter Lehmanns Stonewell (Barossa), Bests Thomson Family Shiraz (Great Western), Mount Ida (Heathcote), Hardys Eileen Hardy (Padthaway, McLaren Vale), Henschkes Mount Edelstone (Eden Valley) and Tim Adams Aberfeldy (Clare). De Bortoli and Yarra Yarra (both Yarra Valley) and Redbank (Pyrenees) each made fine Victorian cabernets.

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An excellent vintage in all regions produced textbook wines

5/5

Weather Conditions

A classic dry Australian summer followed a warm start to the growing season and above-average temperatures in January and February, especially in South Australia. Vintage was early and yields were slightly down, but most winemakers would happily experience a 1991 season every year. Comparisons with the previous vintage of 1990 are always inevitable when such great seasons come in pairs. Time only will tell, but it would appear that the while 1991 reds are more restrained and classically structured, the 1990 crop is typically thicker, more dense and powerful.

Best Appellations

Again, its a whos who list of Australias best regions and makers who made the best fist of this exceptional year. From Margaret River and the Great Southern in Western Australia, across every known red district in South Australia and Victoria, 1991 gave virtually every serious red wine maker the chance to showcase their talents. The premier South Australian red wine regions of the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale and Eden Valley each had great seasons, as indeed did the Margaret River and Lower Hunter Valley in New South Wales.

Best Producers

In addition to the regular list of leading Australian red makers like Cullen, Henschke, Moss Wood, Rosemount Estate and Penfolds, a number of other brands created exceptional wines in 1991. These include Primo Estates Joseph Amarone (South Australia), Oakridge Estates Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Yarra Valley), Parker Terra Rossa First Growth (Coonawarra), Mount Mary Cabernet Quintet (Yarra Valley), Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra), Orlando Lawsons Shiraz (Padthaway), St Hallett Old Block Shiraz (Barossa Valley), Brokenwood Graveyard and Tyrrells Vat 9 Shiraz (both Hunter Valley).

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An exceptionally good year in South Australia; the harvest in New South Wales was spoiled by rain

5/5

Weather Conditions

Its an interesting phenomenon, but as time marches on the 1990 vintage may ultimately be downgraded by close followers of mature Australian wine. The reason? Theres little doubt that at the time it was one of the most exciting of all Australian red wine vintages. The season began without much rain and continued dry under a warm to hot sun, enabling growers on the southern and eastern sides of the continent to harvest fruit at what was considered at the time to be optimal ripeness. The wines began full of flavour and concentration, powerfully structured and seemingly able to live forever. What was feared at the time and has since been confirmed at the tasting table is that many makers were caught unawares by the opportunity to make richer wines than usual and didnt handle them as well as they might have done. There wasnt nearly as much knowledge in Australia about the handling of tannins and too many of the 1990 reds are harder and blockier than they might have been if made today. So, a great vintage in the vineyard could have had some of its potential glossiness slightly tarnished by its makers.

Best Appellations

However, there are plenty of great Australian 1990s to justify the rating given above. Coonawarra had an exceptional season which resulted in red wines of unusual concentration and extract, just like virtually each of the major South Australian regions. The Yarra Valley produced some classic and refined cabernet blends, the Barossa some memorable and concentrated shirazes. The better reds from Margaret River and the Great Southern have shown a slightly disappointing green edge as they have matured, but Western Australia did miss the extremes of the eastern summer.

Best Producers

The list of the best 1990 Australian reds resembles an Australian red wine Hall of Fame. Penfolds produced one of the best Granges for the last two decades and a memorable Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines, like the dense and powerful Henschke Hill of Grace and Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon (both Eden Valley), are nowhere near ready to open. Mount Mary hit something of an apogee in 1990 with its Cabernet Quintet (Yarra Valley), while Yarra Yerings Dry Red No. 1 (Yarra Valley) and the Parker Terra Rossa First Growth (Coonawarra) are as clear a statement of style as their makers could deliver. Other highlights are the first Wynns Michael Shiraz since 1955 and a superb Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon (both Coonawarra) from the same maker.

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A very disappointing harvest

2/5

Weather Conditions

Despite the occasional exceptional red from the Barossa Valley and Coonawarra, the Margaret River was the only Australian red wine region which really performed anywhere near its best during a very disappointing 1989 grape harvest, thanks largely to the robust nature of its mature vineyards. The southern regions in the eastern states began the season with lower rainfall than expected before a February heatwave simultaneously caused vines to stress and berries to shrivel. Sugar levels shot up well in excess of flavour development, so grapes generally failed to reach full physiological ripeness. The result is a lower grade of red, deepish in colour but lacking fruit integrity and often with cooked fruit characters. The cooler regions in the south of the continent also experienced consistent rainfall from mid-December until Februarys heat, after which it became very cool again. The wines are generally very unremarkable.

Best Appellations

While it suffered similar conditions to much of the country, the Margaret River managed to produce some excellent cabernet sauvignon and cabernet blends. A small number of Barossa reds did justice to their typical richness and style, but even these are more confection-like and less complex than usual. Coonawarra was a major disappointment, but a couple of excellent wines do beg the question of why others couldnt do likewise.

Best Producers

The leading Margaret River cabernet vineyards of Cullen, Cape Mentelle and Moss Wood did absolutely no harm to their reputations in 1989, while the Cabernet Sauvignon from Killerby (Geographe) and a very smoky Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon (Great Southern) from this vintage were and remain fine red wines. Coonawarras leading lights were the Parker Terra Rossa First Growth, Hardys Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon and Orlandos very restrained, cedary St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon. Peter Lehmann turned out a couple of fine Barossa reds in the Stonewell Shiraz and Cellar Collection cabernet blend (now known as the Mentor).

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A largely unexciting vintage

3/5

Weather Conditions

1988 was the great vintage that might have been, as most regions almost experienced ideal seasons, but not quite. Firstly it was wind and hail that adversely affected Margaret Rivers reds, then after a mild start to the summer, February turned into a heatwave. The Great Southerns season was mild, if dry and almost too cool. October hail in 1997 reduced yields in Clare and the Barossa Valley, while the Eden Valley was hit by spring frosts. Other than that, South Australias season was long, warm and dry, without becoming excessively hot except in McLaren Vale, and some good to very good reds were made from an early vintage. Coonawarra benefited from its cooler climate even if its fruit came in early, while the McLaren Vales season was good but not great the heat a shade or two higher than desirable. The Hunters half-expected seasonal deluge in February killed off its red hopes for another year, while much of southern and central Victoria experienced ideal red wine conditions.

Best Appellations

Some very strong patterns have emerged in identifying the best combinations of Australian regions and varieties from 1998. From South Australia came some excellent Barossa shiraz and Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, while the Eden Valley produced outstanding reds from reduced crops. It was a top year for Yarra Valley cabernet blends and for central Victorian shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, especially from Heathcote, the Pyrenees and Bendigo. For those interested in richer, more rustic and traditional Australian red, 1988 was also an outstanding year for reds from Victorias north-easterly vineyards around Rutherglen and Glenrowan.

Best Producers

Led by first-class cabernet blends from Mount Mary and Yeringberg in the Yarra Valley, Victoria also excelled with other marvellous cabernet-based wines from Balgownie (Bendigo), Dalwhinnie, Taltarni and Blue Pyrenees Estate, each from the Pyrenees region. Excellent Victorian shirazes were made by Jasper Hill (Heathcote), Craiglee (Sunbury) and Taltarni. Each of Henschkes key reds (Eden Valley) had excellent seasons, while the flagship shirazes of Peter Lehmann, St Hallett and Grant Burge (each Barossa) were typically rich and generous. The first vintage of Parkers Terra Rossa First Growth was one of a number of fine Coonawarra reds which included Katnook Estates Merlot, Petalumas Coonawarra blend and Wynns Black Label. And, astonishingly against the odds, Brokenwood produced a great Graveyard (shiraz) from the Lower Hunter Valley.

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An uneven year but good in Victoria

2/5

Weather Conditions

With only a few exceptions, 1985 was a forgettable season for Australian red wine. Following on from the largely cool season of 1984, the South Australian regions near and north of Adelaide experienced a hot and dry summer of sufficent extreme to cause defoliation, before a wet March put the kibosh on any real chances of growing quality reds. However the southern regions of this state and much of Victoria encountered a far cooler summer than ideal, although it remained exceptionally dry. Despite a hailstorm which caused localised damage to certain Hunter vineyards in late January, warm and dry conditions helped the season finish as bounteous as it was ripe. Mudgees season was affected by serious frost, although quality was good.

Best Appellations

Other than the occasional shiraz or cabernet sauvignon from central Victoria or even the Hunter Valley, youd perhaps rather not have too many Australian reds from the summer of 85 left in your cellar, unless for emotional reasons. Only a small number of reds of any real quality came from South Australia, some from Coonawarra and the Eden Valley saving the day.

Best Producers

Leading reds from central Victoria included the Taltarni Shiraz (Pyrenees), Chateau Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon (Goulburn Valley)and the two shirazes from Jasper Hill (Heathcote), namely Georgias Paddock and Emilys Paddock. Mount Mary (Yarra Valley) also turned out a restrained and classy Pinot Noir. It was thin pickings in Coonawarra, but Rosemount Estate made a fine and elegant Show Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Henschkes Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon (Eden Valley) performed well and of the Hunter Valley reds, the best was perhaps the Tyrrells Vat 9 Shiraz.

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A very good vintage throughout Australia; excellent Penfolds Grange

4/5

Weather Conditions

I love a sunburned country But not only was 1983 in many parts a genuine drought year and a second consecutive one at that but in other Australian regions the harvest began once the drought had broken and how! This was the year of Ash Wednesday, the horrifying climax of a long and extended dry which left huge areas of eastern and western Australia burned under some of the worst bushfires in history. Flames licked the Grosset vineyard in Clare and although damage to vineyards was minimal, jokes about Fume Cabernets were not uncommon. Worse was to follow when on March 2, just after some early red vineyards were harvested, hailstorms preceded drenching rains over most of the south-east.

Best Appellations

While some Barossa and McLaren Vale vineyards were able to be harvested before the weather turned, yields were very poor and reds were generally dark and excessively tannic, the result of pitifully small berries with thick, cooked skins. Coonawarra and the south-east of South Australia had a disastrous time as the constant deluge encouraged perhaps the worst botrytis infection ever witnessed there, before or since. The sight of grapes falling off canopies twenty yards before the arrival of the mechanical harvester was not uncommon. Victoria experienced one of its worst vintages on record, the Hunter Valley had a reasonable time coming off what was for it a three year drought and the Margaret Rivers vintage was hot, dry and very ordinary.

Best Producers

By some margin Australias best red wine from 1983 was one of the most powerfully constructed and robust Penfolds Granges of all time, a great wine with distinct connections to the brilliant 1971 vintage. Wolf Blass also did very well with the 1983 Brown Label Shiraz which, like the first-rate Black Label Cabernet Shiraz from this vintage was sourced from Langhorne Creek and the Barossa Valley. Cape Mentelle (Margaret River) made a sweet, firm but rather herbaceous Cabernet Sauvignon, while Penfolds also performed well with a firm and concentrated Bin 389 from various South Australian regions, also making a very bony and tannic first edition of the Magill Estate (Adelaide Metropolitan).

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Some notable wines from Victoria; an exceptionally good year for Coonawarra Cabernet

4/5

Weather Conditions

Excellent winter rains in Australia’s south-east preceded a mild start to the summer, with things hotting up for a short time in January. The summer then continued mild and even across most of the major wine regions and also across the Nullarbor in Margaret River. The Hunter Valley found itself in the middle of a three-year drought.

Best Appellations

Significantly milder than usual, the season suited the cooler south-eastern regions of the Yarra Valley and Coonawarra, each of which made exceptional wines from the cabernet varieties by the standards of the day. Red wines from the Barossa and McLaren Vale were finer and more restrained than typical, although many winemakers rate this vintage highly. The late Indian summer also helped Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot achieve excellent ripeness in cool and even conditions. The Hunters reds were generally firm and tough.

Best Producers

Some Yarra Valley reds like the Mount Mary and Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 survived in fine condition, while perhaps the best red of the vintage was the exceptional wine created by John Wade which became the first in the series of John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignons from Wynns Coonawarra. Other fine Coonawarra Cabernets were made under the Orlando St Hugo and Leconfield labels. Fine central Victorian reds were made by Chateau Tahbilk, Passing Clouds and Redbank.

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A hot, dry and forgettable vintage with many hard and tannic wines

2/5

Weather Conditions

1981 was a hot, dry and forgettable vintage for most Australian wine regions whose wines are thick, hard and tannic. Crops were already reduced after a poor fruit set, before the summer further shrank yields, causing the burning of bunches in warmer regions like the Barossa and McLaren Vale.

Best Appellations

From a year of few highlights came robust reds from the Barossa and Eden Valleys in South Australia, the Goulburn Valley and the Pyrenees in central Victoria. Coonawarra’s reds were unusually robust and ungenerous, while Langhorne Creek fared better than most South Australian areas. It was generally too hot for any real quality from the Margaret River or the Hunter Valley.

Best Producers

Henschkes Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon (Eden Valley) provided a genuine, but rare class effort from 1981, while the historic Victorian property of Chateau Tahbilk (Goulburn Valley) had an excellent vintage. Against the odds, Lakes Folly made a fine version of its idiosyncratic Cabernet Sauvignon and the Pyrenees vineyards of Redbank and Taltarni made firm, long-living reds from cabernet sauvignon and shiraz.

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A dry growing season produced reds of richness and longevity

3/5

Weather Conditions

A dry season across most regions which tended to produce good to quite good Australian reds of richness and longevity, except in the Hunter Valley which copped another drenching, but this time of disastrous proportions. The main problem facing growers in the fledgling Margaret River region, which otherwise had an excellent warm season, was an abundance of sharp-beaked avarian species.

Best Appellations

The South Australian regions around Adelaide made robust red wines, as did much of central Victoria and the small number of wineries then existent in Margaret River. The Yarra Valley showed some promising signs that it might become an important source of quality Cabernet Sauvignon.

Best Producers

Henschkes flagship red vineyard, the Hill of Grace, produced a majestic and long-term Shiraz in 1978, while the Penfolds collection of red wines are rich and solid enough, but lack the fruit intensity of the great years. Mount Marys Cabernets (Yarra Valley) was fine and supple, Cape Mentelles Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) was the first serious red from this emergent vineyard, and Brown Brothers (NE Victoria) made a substantial Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

A desolate year

1/5

Weather Conditions

Warmer and earlier-ripening regions whose fruit was well in the can before March turned wet and cold managed to fare better than the cooler regions in the country’s west and south-east.

Best Appellations

Adelaide Hills and Hunter Valley suffered somewhat while Margaret River fruit was harvested earlier than ideal.

Best Producers

In a desolate year for Australian red wine, the best were made by Penfolds – who were clearly helped by their multi-regional philosophies and their ability to source reduced volumes from warmer sites – plus Henschke and the new Victorian red wine specialist of Taltarni in the Pyrenees region.

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A disappointingly cool and meagre vintage

1/5

Weather Conditions

A disappointing thin and cool vintage for most Australian red wine makers, except those in the New South Wales regions of the Hunter Valley and Mudgee. Although February was largely hot and dry throughout most major regions, January was cool and March was wet, thoroughly dampening expectations.

Best Appellations

Some Barossa reds whose richness and flavour approached usual levels were made from early-harvested vineyards, while it was one of the better seasons for Hunter Valley Shiraz in a largely disappointing decade. Some fine Margaret River Cabernets were made from a significantly cooler season than usual.

Best Producers

Yalumba’s Signature Series Cabernet Shiraz shines out amid some poor pickings from the warmer South Australian regions, while the Wolf Blass Black Label blend, itself largely sourced from Langhorne Creek, remains a fine red sporting characteristic Blass oak treatment. Huntington Estate (Mudgee) produced a firm, if leaner Cabernet Sauvignon than normal while in Margaret River, Moss Wood and Vasse Felix made elegant, fine-grained cabernets. Right from left field, 1975 also produced a very firm, if distinctively minty cabernet blend from the cool-climate Virgin Hills vineyard near Kyneton in Victoria.

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A very good to excellent season for most red wine makers

4/5

Weather Conditions

A very good to excellent season for most Australian red wine makers. January and February were both dry months and most fruit was harvested in ideal conditions, well before the rains came in April. The exception to the rule was the Hunter Valley, which experienced one of its worst seasons of all time under a constant deluge.

Best Appellations

Rich, powerful reds were made in the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and central Victoria, while Coonawarra had a fine season for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Best Producers

There’s no debate about the red wine of this vintage. Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1971 is the Grange of the 1970s and one of the best ever – a deep, dark and brooding wine of massive depth and power. Now suitably mature, its steeped in spicy chocolate and leathery complexity. This was a great vintage also for the other Penfolds reds, Bin 389 in particular. Henschke also made a particularly exotic and gamey Hill of Grace, while Saltrams Mamre Brook Cabernet Shiraz is a fine Barossa Valley red of considerable richness and longevity.