1979 vintage guide for Red Australia

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A generally disappointing year

2/5

Weather Conditions

Not a classic red wine vintage by any stretch of the imagination, the crop was hampered firstly by a hot, dry summer which caused sunburn in some of the warmer regions, followed by wet months in January, February and April. Conversely, a year of unprecedented rainfall ended prior to Christmas in the Hunter Valley,

Best Appellations

The few highlights from a largely disappointing vintage tended to be Cabernet-based and came from Coonawarra, the Pyrenees and the Margaret River. There was an historically high crop for Hunter Valley

Best Producers

Three very different reds of world class were made in 1979 by Brian Croser and Dominique Portet. Petalumas first release of its Coonawarra was actually a Shiraz-Cabernet blend, for the only time. It remains a benchmark mature Australian red of fineness and complexity. Taltarni made the other two wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from its Pyrenees vineyard. Both have justifiably impressive records in wine tastings around the world.