Vintage Reports
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2012 vintage report for McLaren Vale (South Australia)
McLaren Vale experienced a relatively early start and finish to its 2012 vintage, with the first grapes harvested in the first week of February. Most of the grapes were picked by the end of the first week in April. According to McLaren Vales Sami Gilligan, from Gilligan Consulting, and Derek Cameron, from DJ Growers, the […]
2012 vintage report for Margaret River (Western Australia)
Consensus amongst winemakers is usually difficult to achieve but all agree the 2012 vintage is going to be truly special; Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends are rated as outstanding with Cabernet Sauvignon a step further ahead and universally declared as show stopping brilliant. Harvest began 2-3 weeks early, after a warm, dry summer. […]
2012 vintage report for Langhorne Creek (South Australia)
Langhorne Creek growers and wineries issued a media release to celebrate a vintage they describe as exceptional. Vintage wrapped up by early April, with Bremerton Wines winemaker Rebecca Willson reporting: Quality and colour is amazing, it all looks quite sensational, so we are very happy. Langhorne Creek Grape and Wine Inc executive officer Lian Jaensch […]
2012 vintage report for King Valley (Victoria)
Mild conditions provided steady ripening, resulting in good natural acidity in white varieties and excellent colour accumulation in reds. Great varietal expression was observed across most varieties, with winemakers very pleased with the quality. Time will define the standouts of the 2012 vintage, but Prosecco sparkling bases are very fresh and show a great acid […]
2012 vintage report for Hunter Valley (New South Wales)
The Hunter vintage started later than it has in the past few years, but closer to a traditional Hunter season with most picking taking place late January. While Chardonnay and Verdelho were picked around Australia Day, Semillon was slower to ripen than normal. Rain was intermittent throughout the white harvest and the majority of fruit […]
2012 vintage report for Hilltops (New South Wales)
Hilltops recorded its second cool, wet vintage in a row, with flooding and disease resulting in some blocks not being harvested. However, the quality of the harvested grapes was generally high, especially for clean fruit. Some late selective harvesting to avoid infected areas attracted a lot of interest from boutique wineries, along with high prices. […]
2012 vintage report for Henty (Victoria)
For some vineyards, it was the earliest harvest on record due in part to lower bunch numbers and earlier ripening. Sparkling varieties were very good, showing good structure. The majority of vineyards picked a lower than average crop, but there was compensation in the outstanding fruit quality. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling were standouts, along […]
2012 vintage report for Heathcote (Victoria)
Expectations are high for a vintage that will rank among the top three of modern times. Yields were strong, particularly for Shiraz. Additional moisture developed bright, vibrant fruit with good fruit definition and nice ripe tannins, but disease pressure generally was much lower than in 2011. The conditions also allowed the fruit to ripen on […]
2012 vintage report for Great Southern (Western Australia)
Vineyard managers in the Great Southern were on their game from the start of budburst, following a wet winter and spring. Despite the pressure, growers managed to avoid any significant problems in terms of disease, with most vineyard managers diligent towards their spray programs. Great Southern Wine Producers Association Inc chairman John Sprigg reported both […]
2012 vintage report for Granite Belt (Queensland)
Granite Belt producers were expecting lower than average yields with outstanding quality, according to Jim Barnes, chair of the regions wine body. Despite rain and overcast weather at the start of the season, growers were able to harvest quality fruit. The weather was a problem in the early part of the season with very vigorous […]
2012 vintage report for Goulburn Valley (Victoria)
Heavy rain in late February and early March had a significant impact on the vintage, yet overall quality is above average, with parcels of Riesling, Chardonnay and Shiraz tending to excellent. Harvesting started as early as the first week of February, and varieties picked ahead of the rain fared particularly well, with Chardonnay and Riesling […]
2012 vintage report for Geographe (Western Australia)
Demand for winegrapes has increased in the Geographe wine region after ideal ripening conditions led to excellent grape quality. Viticulturist Jim Campbell Clause says this season is dramatically different to last year in terms of prices, yields and quality. Last seasons lack of winter and spring rainfall resulted in small canopies and light crops, whereas […]
2012 vintage report for Geelong (Victoria)
Across the board, local winemakers are genuinely excited about the quality of fruit and varietal intensity from the 2012 vintage. Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are showing rich, bold intensity and earlier picked reds, such as Pinot Noir and Merlot, show great cool vintage influences. Yield across the region was generally lower than the long term […]
2012 vintage report for Eden Valley (South Australia)
As in the Barossa, picking began up to a month early. Milder summer conditions and cool nights helped develop great flavours and good sugar to acid ratios, particularly in Riesling. Riesling, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon were outstanding in 2012, with flavor development and acids progressing smoothly. Source: Winemakers Federation of Australia, Regional Reports, July 2012
2012 vintage report for Currency Creek (South Australia)
Overall, the 2012 vintage will be classed from a quality perspective as probably the best that the Currency Creek wine region has experienced since its inception. While all varieties produced high quality fruit, the stand out for reds was Cabernet Sauvignon (followed closely by Merlot) and for whites was Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Source: Winemakers […]
2012 vintage report for Cowra (New South Wales)
Cowra experienced a very mild year with temperatures being up to 5C below average. Rainfall was on average until a major downpour at start of March. The whites are extremely varietal, showing great natural acid; this could be one of the best white vintages in the last 20 years for the area. Shiraz before the […]
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