The Auswine Forum

Hi all,
Another question about Aus.
It has been noted that certain Australian regions had a rather unsuccessful vintage in 2000. However, with Australia being a humongous country, was there any region for which this was not the case - one that produced ripe well-rounded wines ?
Cheers,
Mishy

Mishy,

Obviously there are exceptions to any given rule but my experience is that the best relative area for vintage 2000 was the yarra Valley.

Ric will hate my mentioning c-through and pinot but they shone in the Yarra 2000 : the Yering Station PN 2000 boxes well above its weight (and chalk and cheese compared with 2001), as does the Coldstream Hills bog stock standard - and the reserve as well.

Generally a number of the Victorian wineries (not just Yarra Valley) produced excellent wines: Mt mary, Yarra yering, yeringberg, Craiglee shiraz is a standout, Dalwhinnie shiraz, Seppelt (not yet released), Delatite, Knights, de bortoli Yarra Valley....there is a long list of producers and specific wines I could recommend from the vintage (Balgownie a slight disappointment after their brilliant 98 & 99)...

Although 2000 was not fabulous elsewhere, it was not bad in coonawarra, and the Margaret River was a step down from 1999/2001 but seems less variable overall!

Post your potential purchases and someone will give you feedback.

2001 in SA seem like huge wines but there is some doubt about there cellaring potential given the conditions. Caveat: most of the flagships and even good 2001 reds from SA have not been released yet. 2001 in WA for flagships especially fantastic -think Moss Wood, Cullens...

2002 is heralded as "the vintage of the century" (big call when you are one of 2!) but the conditions in most of Oz seem to have been all but perfect - and certainly the rieslings are great and barrel samples I have tasted look pretty damned good.....

Murray will probably give you more detail, and nice to see you flying the maple leaf here,

regards

fred

Mishy,

Obviously there are exceptions to any given rule but my experience is that the best relative area for vintage 2000 was the yarra Valley.

Ric will hate my mentioning c-through and pinot but they shone in the Yarra 2000 : the Yering Station PN 2000 boxes well above its weight (and chalk and cheese compared with 2001), as does the Coldstream Hills bog stock standard - and the reserve as well.

Generally a number of the Victorian wineries (not just Yarra Valley) produced excellent wines: Mt mary, Yarra yering, yeringberg, Craiglee shiraz is a standout, Dalwhinnie shiraz, Seppelt (not yet released), Delatite, Knights, de bortoli Yarra Valley....there is a long list of producers and specific wines I could recommend from the vintage (Balgownie a slight disappointment after their brilliant 98 & 99)...

Although 2000 was not fabulous elsewhere, it was not bad in coonawarra, and the Margaret River was a step down from 1999/2001 but seems less variable overall!

Post your potential purchases and someone will give you feedback.

2001 in SA seem like huge wines but there is some doubt about there cellaring potential given the conditions. Caveat: most of the flagships and even good 2001 reds from SA have not been released yet. 2001 in WA for flagships especially fantastic -think Moss Wood, Cullens...

2002 is heralded as "the vintage of the century" (big call when you are one of 2!) but the conditions in most of Oz seem to have been all but perfect - and certainly the rieslings are great and barrel samples I have tasted look pretty damned good.....

Murray will probably give you more detail, and nice to see you flying the maple leaf here,

regards

fred

The reds in particular from the Hunter were great in 2000. My view is that it will turn out to be one of the best vintages in the last 30 years (JH also shares that view). The Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz in particular is outstanding.

Mishy, The 2000 vintage was trashed over here in N.A. but the better wines - ie - around the $25+ price point Canadian have all been really nice. The feeling I get is that if you were careful on what you put in the bottle, good stuff came out. (seems rather logical doesn't it!!)
Cheers - Rick