The Auswine Forum

How is the current vintage looking across the Nation? Any possible 10/10 conditions anywhere? How is Barossa,McClaren,Coonawarra,Magaret river,Heathcote etc going?

Looking really good from what I hear. Vintage in South Australia is well under way with Clare is picking at the moment. Yarra Valley is about 3 weeks away.

cheers
anthony

Anonymous wrote:How is the current vintage looking across the Nation? Any possible 10/10 conditions anywhere? How is Barossa,McClaren,Coonawarra,Magaret river,Heathcote etc going?

Very positive so far here in SA so I've heard, cooler year, great colour in the reds, no heat or rain.

very early to tell of course, not much picked yet, but looking good I feel.

10/10 vintages I think you can only pick much later, when most wines are in bottle, released, aged etc.

Say 1996?

Margaret River has had a slow steady year without any extremes of heat and a cool start to the season. Picking of most whites is currently underway with many reds possibly to be picked as late as mid April, especially the Cab Sauvs and some of the southern Karridale vineyards.

Without any real extremes and a dry season it is hoped that there'll be good quality across the board, with the reds having great potential (if the weather hangs in there for another 3-4 weeks). No mildew pressures this year either (touch wood) and this will also aid in fruit quality.

Cheers

Mark G

So could be good back to back vintages in most of SA and WA?

Anonymous wrote:So could be good back to back vintages in most of SA and WA?

early days, but seems so.

Had a chat to someone in Clare today, with their Shiraz already picked, and they're delighted, so hopes are high.

Anonymous wrote:So could be good back to back vintages in most of SA and WA?

I wouldn't be too generic with WA, the rumour is that there was a fair bit of rain just before picking the whites at Mt Barker (Gt Southern) and I'm not sure if this will impact on their quality. The west coast has missed most of the rain this summer, with a few thunderstorms following the trough inland.

Cheers

Mark G

My contacts in Clare, Barossa and McLaren Vale are all very happy as they approach vintage, quality looks outstanding at this stage and there appears to be a warm spell of weather over the next week which should do a treat.

I'm off with a heap of associates to pick a crop in the southern Clare hills late next week so I'll see for myself how they look/taste.

The Hunter Valley is going very well according to anecdotal from Cellar Door staff and winemakers.

Would never have worried me a few years ago but I think this is the region where a good deal of my cellaring whites will now come from.