Due to heat stress and some disease problems, most white wines will generally develop early and will not exhibit the strong varietal characters typical of the region.

Chardonnay was most successful among the white varieties, with the best batches easily making the grade for Penfolds Barossa Valley Semillon Chardonnay. Much of the rest will make valuable additions to wines such as Penfolds Koonunga Hill and Rawson's Retreat Chardonnays and Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay. This will ensure that the mainstream end of Southcorp Wines business will have good quality fruit to bolster supply.

Semillons are being held under refrigeration to retain freshness prior to blending, with the best parcels destined for Penfolds Old Vine Semillon and Penfolds Barossa Valley Semillon Chardonnay. During vineyard assessments of red varieties, winemakers noted some lack of sweet fruit and higher acid levels. Many of the resultant wines will offer approachable, earlier-drinking options.

Some excellent shiraz has been produced from the best-managed vineyards and shows the district's hallmark sweetness and ripe tannin structure, providing positive signs for wines such as Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28.

The top parcels of old-vine material will ensure that Penfolds Grange maintains its pinnacle quality standards, though quantity will be down. "As ever, 2000 Penfolds Grange will show great fruit intensity and power, but it will be a more forward style than normal," said John Duval. Cabernet sauvignon is a notoriously fickle variety in the Barossa and the 2000 vintage proved a particularly difficult one. Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon will not appear in the line up of super-premium reds as a result.

"We are always conscious of maintaining the quality standards of our premium reds and this move is a very powerful indicator of our philosophy," said John Duval. "While we made some Barossa cabernet of Penfolds Bin 707 standard, there wasn't enough to justify producing the wine this year. The problem was exacerbated by the reduced quantity of red fruit harvested from Coonawarra."

Some fine fortified material was harvested in the Barossa, especially Seppeltsfield, Touriga, which achieved target baumè in a difficult year and produced wine with reasonable fruit flavour and intensity. Shiraz fruit characters were not strong but the best fruit was of a suitably high standard to achieve high-end use in fortified wine.

Some excellent chardonnay was produced, vindicating the decision to prune harder, reduce yields and increase flavour. The best batches will help ensure that the Tollana 2000 Eden Valley/Adelaide Hills Chardonnay is the best since the 1994 vintage. Acid levels in semillon were quite low and the resultant wines are light and soft and will be early-drinking propositions.

Riesling shows typical Eden Valley fruit lift but volumes are low. "Some batches rose above the pack and are absolutely stunning," said Senior White Winemaker Neville Falkenberg. "There are two distinct styles. Some show abundant, up-front spice, grapefruit, cinnamon and rose petal characters and have been set aside for early-release under the Penfolds Eden Valley Reserve Riesling label. Others are much leaner, with distinct lemon and green lime characters, and have been selected for this years Leo Buring Leonay."

There will also be some excellent Rieslings released under the Tollana label. Eden Valley shiraz and cabernet sauvignon produced attractive wines at the lighter end of the spectrum for Tollana TR16 Shiraz and Tollana TR222 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Warmer than normal conditions early in the ripening period dictated an early harvest, though the extent of this effect was influenced by exact location and cropping level.

Higher than average acid levels highlighted the excellent fruit characters in the white varieties and some very good batches of wine were produced.

Some excellent chardonnay batches have been tucked away in superb, fine-grained French oak barrels for Penfolds Yattarna and Penfolds Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. Overall, chardonnay from the Hills was a highlight of the 2000 vintage, showing an array of characters ideal for complex blending options next February when taken out of oak.

Excellent fruit flavour and refined characters have resulted in semillons that will age well for 10 years plus. One exceptional parcel has been earmarked as a possible successor to the Penfolds 1993 Reserve Semillon, which is still awaiting release. It has been barrel-fermented and is a very complex, refined wine.

One or two excellent sauvignon blancs showed through with the passionfruit and fruit salad characters that are so enjoyable in sauvignon blanc. These will form the basis for the best Tollana Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc since the 1997 vintage.

Magill experienced a low-cropping but good vintage which finished early, in the third week of February. Shiraz reached optimal ripeness and John Duval describes the resultant Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz as showing excellent young varietal characters. As with many 2000 dry reds from the central region of South Australia, the wine is more forward than usual and will reach its optimum relatively early.

Langhorne Creek

It was an exceptional year for chardonnay in Langhorne Creek, with some very good wines providing a solid base for multi-regional South Australian wines such as Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay.

These are well structured wines with distinctive green-melon and loquat flavours. Fruit from young semillon and verdelho vineyards shows great promise, though greater attention will have to be given in future to control vigour.

Shiraz led the way in what was quite a strong year for reds in Langhorne Creek and will find its way into Penfolds Bin 28 and Penfolds Koonunga Hill. These wines show real sweetness, depth and structure.

As in most central South Australian districts, Langhorne Creek cabernet sauvignon lacked varietal definition this year, though some solid wines were produced. Some good parcels of merlot were also harvested.

"Overall, the 2000 vintage in Langhorne Creek has proved an important one for Southcorp Wines, especially through the role it will play in Penfolds mainstream reds," said John Duval.

Clare Valley

As in the Barossa Valley, the 2000 vintage was one which highlighted the value of good vineyard management. Those vineyards with ample water supply and subsequently healthy canopies best survived the hot spell which began in late January and clearly produced the best fruit. Rain at harvest time created some difficulties.

Conditions were especially hard on white varieties in the Clare and resulted in an average to poor year. Wines will be mainly early-maturing styles with some broad characters. Rieslings will be soft, attractive, easy-drinking styles which will offer good value under the Leo Buring label. But ultimately, 2000 vintage Clare riesling will lack longevity. Chardonnays and Semillons will also be best consumed early.

Red varieties will produce mainly early-drinking styles, though some outstanding fruit-driven wines have been produced from shiraz. These show vibrant colour and excellent balance. Some parcels of Shiraz are good enough for inclusion in Penfolds Bin 28 and Bin 389, with one parcel making St Henri.

Some vineyards struggled to adequately ripen cabernet sauvignon this year. However, while varietal distinctiveness was lacking, some solid, weighty wines were produced. The best will be used for the Penfolds Koonunga Hill red. One particular parcel of merlot proved to be a highlight of the vintage, showing good colour, spice and sweet fruit. It will help maintain the quality of Lindemans Bin 40.

McLaren Vale

More than 90 percent of Southcorp Wines white grapes in the district were harvested before the onset of rains that hampered the 2000 vintage in most central South Australian districts. This was a great decision and a result that reflects very positively on vineyard management strength. It will benefit many of the company's white wines.

Cabernet sauvignon was a highlight of the 2000 vintage, with McLaren Vale being the strongest area in the central region for this variety. The wines are solid and rich and the best will go into Edwards & Chaffey section 353 and Penfolds Bin 407. The E&C McLaren Vale reds will also benefit from this windfall.

Some excellent semillon was produced that will ensure wines such as Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Semillon Chardonnay offer exceptional value from the 2000 vintage.

Small amounts of herbaceous sauvignon blanc were also produced. These have encouraged the production of a small batch of Edwards & Chaffey Sauvignon Blanc for release at cellar door. The wine shows definitive asparagus and herbaceous characters on the bouquet, combined with rich mouth feel.

Overall, yields from McLaren Vale were very low and chardonnay suffered the most from the hot spell that began in late January. The selection process did, however, reveal enough top-class chardonnay for the super-premium Edwards & Chaffey section 353 label.

Reliable vineyards produced solid, rich shiraz with genuine regional character. These wines will contribute to Penfolds Bin 389 and Penfolds Bin 28, with the best and most concentrated being classified for inclusion in Penfolds Grange.

Coonawarra

Coonawarra experienced a very cool spring with reasonable rainfall leading to abundant shoot growth. Significant rain fell between Christmas and New Year, followed by very dry and hot conditions from the New Year until March.

The region just managed to avoid rainfall showers that passed south until Easter, when some rainfall was recorded.

Crop levels were down due mainly to the cool spring, which affected fruit set, and the February-March heat, which caused loss of berries and bunches. The dry finish to the season and the small crop loads resulted in baumè levels being good to high.

Excellent quality shiraz was produced throughout Coonawarra this year and was the highlight of the vintage. Across all vineyard blocks, there was a consistency of quality that will be the hallmark of the year. Intense but very fine tannins frame ripe, spicy fruit to give wines that reflect the year and will be suited to both early drinking and cellaring.

Some of the riesling blocks ripened early while others were able to hang for longer, extending the ripening window. Intense citrus characters with crisp acidity again characterise the variety. Fruit quality was generally very good and the Wynns Coonawarra Estate 2000 Riesling is an excellent follow-on to the gold medal winning 1999.

Chardonnay ripened well, producing generally rich, full-flavoured fruit. The Wynns Coonawarra Estate 2000 Chardonnay is a full-bodied wine which will be suitable for early consumption. The fruit sourced for the Rouge Homme Unoaked Chardonnay has good richness balanced with fine, slightly herbaceous characters that have developed beautifully during extended yeast contact. The Rouge Homme Chardonnay has great finesse, with sufficient fruit sweetness for consumption on release but also showing ageing potential.

The 2000 vintage has allowed a diverse range of pinot noir wines to be made showing individual vineyard characters. Pinot ripened extremely early this year with some batches being harvested in February compared with mid-to-late March in a typical year. A very good Rouge Homme Pinot Noir was produced once again which reflects winemaker Paul Gordon's commitment to quality.

A fine, silky, but restrained Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz is currently maturing in oak. This is a wine that will reflect both its region of origin and the high quality of the vintage. Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz is also a finer style with good varietal definition and balance.

Great concentration of flavour has allowed the Rouge Homme Shiraz-Cabernet blend to contain its highest percentage of shiraz for many years. Rouge Homme winemaker Paul Gordon considers it equivalent in quality to 1998. It will offer great value for money.

At Wynns Coonawarra Estate, cabernet sauvignon produced wines which are generally softer than the firm, tannic wines of 1999. An abundance of ripe cassis flavours with good intensity are seen in many cabernet parcels, but the tannins are considerably softer than those of the past couple of vintages. These characters will show through in both the Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch and the Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

Very low yields of cabernet at Rouge Homme have resulted in a very much reduced resource.

The wine has all the hallmarks of the Rouge Homme Cabernet style: cassis, some mint and earthiness complementing a long sweet-fruit palate of medium-to-full body. The 2000 Rouge Homme Cabernet Merlot blend will be similar to the trophy winning 1997.

Merlot has proved a consistent variety in Coonawarra, providing numerous blending choices and options. Low yields gave merlot grapes ripe tannins at harvest without excessive alcohol. Sweet fruit intensity will combine extremely well with leafy, more austere cabernet sauvignon, and the 2000 Rouge Homme Cabernet Merlot blend will be similar to the trophy-winning 1997. The Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot blend is also of very high quality.

The 2000 vintage has resulted in a trio of wonderful Lindemans Coonawarra individual vineyard reds. The Limestone Ridge vineyard yielded only half its average crop of the past five years. Furthermore, the Lindemans Limestone Ridge Shiraz-Cabernet is correspondingly dense and rich, reflecting the overall quality of Coonawarra shiraz this year. Greg Clayfield rates it as certainly one of the best since 1991. Lindemans Pyrus Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Cabernet Franc is intense and rich, but also fine and long. All varieties in this blend performed well and the wine will be as good as, if not better than, the 1999. Cassis, mint and chocolate highlight the flavour spectrum of a wine that will be a wonderful keeper. The St George vineyard produced a larger crop than in 1999, but the yield was still only 60 percent of the site's five-year average. The Lindemans St George Cabernet Sauvignon has remarkable fruit sweetness and stacks of fruit flavour, and is possibly a little bigger in style than is typical.

Padthaway

Padthaway was fortunate to miss most of the rainfall that created vintage difficulties further north. The beginning of the growing season was promising, with a cool spring and average rainfall, but a severe frost in early November caused shoot damage and fruit loss. Shoot growth at Christmas, however, was good. Some rain fell between Christmas and New Year, followed by very dry and hot conditions from the New Year until March. The harvest was in by the time the rain arrived. As in Coonawarra, the cool spring and the February-March heat reduced yields. This came on top of the effects of the November frost and crop levels were generally down. Fruit ripeness levels, however, were very good.

Lindemans Padthaway Chardonnay from the 2000 vintage is an outstanding wine with great fruit intensity. The parcels show more grapefruit characters than the lifted tropical flavours we typically see from the region. This wine will add another distinguished, pedigree-building member to an already-great line-up.

Padthaway is an excellent region for pinot noir, as shown by the Lindemans 1998 Padthaway Pinot Noir winning two trophies for the best dry red and best varietal pinot at last year's Hobart Wine Show. The 2000 vintage produced very low crops which ripened very early. The resultant wines have great structure and flavour, together with the complexity expected.

Merlot has produced wines which are sweet, long and varietal. The material will be used for the new Lindemans Padthaway Vineyard Merlot.

Bordertown/Robe

Bordertown and Robe experienced a relatively cool spring with below-average rainfall. As a result, shoot growth at Christmas was variable. As in most south-eastern districts, some rain fell between Christmas and New Year, followed by very dry and very hot conditions until March. Crops were down by 20-40 percent and good to high ripeness was achieved.

Bordertown chardonnay remains an important 'cool climate' contributor to the Lindemans Bin 65 blend and this year again showed ripe, rich melon-like characters. Some very good merlot was harvested at Bordertown and this is an important contributor to wines such as Lindemans Reserve Merlot.

The quality of Bordertown cabernet sauvignon was a highlight of the vintage and it was rated among the strongest in the company. Cabernet has been harvested from this vineyard for 10 years and the viticulturists are developing a fuller understanding of regional character and how to enhance it. The wines show a strong cabernet mintiness, and their firm but integrated tannins make them excellent blending options. At classification, the stronger wines from Bordertown are given careful consideration for the Penfolds blends.

Cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot and petit verdot from Robe will all produce fine reds for Penfolds with masses of sweet fruit and depth, yet retaining elegance. Group Red Winemaker Peter Taylor regards this years Robe reds as among the highlights of the vintage Australia-wide. They are 'more European' in style, showing finer tannins than those from other districts, and will find their way into highly-regarded wines such as Penfolds St Henri, Penfolds Bin 389 and Penfolds Bin 407. Taylor rates the merlot 'great' and an ideal blending option with cabernet.

Riverland

South Australia's Riverland this year showed glimpses of its potential importance as a contributor to premium winemaking. The difference in the Riverland was that vineyards were generally better balanced in terms of crop-to-canopy ratios and there was not the same struggle to adequately ripen fruit to the required levels.

The mild, dry, early summer enabled the better parcels of chardonnay to easily qualify for Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay. Shiraz and cabernet sauvignon excelled in some cases and provided Peter Taylor with some of the highlights of the vintage. The best have been classified for Penfolds Koonunga Hill, with a few being considered for Penfolds Bin 28.

Great Western/Pyrenees

Early budburst was followed by a cold but dry spring. February was hot, leading to heat stress and dropping of basal leaves. Vintage was about a month earlier than usual, but overall it was good in Great Western, with the Pyrenees district only a little behind in quality.

Great Western chardonnay, especially from Southcorp Wines own Glen Lofty Vineyard, is of good to very good quality and will provide a solid base for Seppelt Corella Ridge Chardonnay. Many of the parcels show generous, ripe, melon-like flavours.

Some excellent individual parcels of shiraz will make Seppelt Great Western Individual Vineyard standard. These show typical regional spice and berry fruit flavours and fine tannins. Seppelt's Ian McKenzie predicts they will be elegant, long-living wines. He is also very pleased with the quality of the parcels reserved for Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz.

Good quantities of Seppelt Chalambar shiraz were also produced, enabling this award-winning wine to maintain its high standards. Cabernet sauvignon was of good quality and will produce a solid vintage of Seppelt Harpers Range.

Drumborg

Drumborg had a very dry winter and one of the driest growing seasons on record. A hot spell at budburst was followed by a cold October. January and February were dry and warm. Below-average fruit set and the dry season produced low yields. Water and heat stress were evident in all varieties, with the four-year drought really beginning to show its effects. Harvest was about a month earlier than normal.

Sparkling-base chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier were in general of good quality, with some very good parcels contributing to Seppelt Salinger and Edwards & Chaffey.

Riesling is quite restrained and is likely to be released later than usual. It shows the typical grapefruit characters of the region but lacks somewhat in lifted aromatics.

It was a difficult year for cabernet sauvignon in Drumborg but some nice ripe wines in the leafy, dusty, cooler-climate style have been made.

As the 2000 vintage was slightly too hot for great pinot noir, no Drumborg Individual Vineyard Pinot Noir will be produced. Some good dry red pinots were produced, however, and will be used for Seppelt Sunday Creek.

Yarra Valley

It was an auspicious start to the New Year for the Yarra Valley with significant amounts of rainfall during late December and early January.

A vigilant programme of spraying to prevent disease outbreak was successful with the added help of warm dry conditions that occurred in late January. February was the second hottest on record and was exceedingly dry and warm. Due to a good supply of water the Coldstream Hills vineyards coped particularly well with the heat, with sunburn and crop loss kept to a minimum.

The vintage started in the first week of March with chardonnay and pinot noir from the Deer Farm Vineyard in the Upper Yarra destined for sparkling. Ripening in all varieties, as expected, was ahead of schedule by up to two weeks. The weather remained warm and dry for March and pinot noir and chardonnay were harvested over the ensuing weeks. April saw a continuation of the dry weather which favoured brilliantly the Bordeaux varieties. Rain did not eventuate until early May.

The climatic conditions were not ideal for white wine varieties, however sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, have produced wines of excellent flavour and length. Acidity levels are generally softer yet the finished wines are complex and well balanced.

Pinot noir above all other red varieties least liked the hot conditions, yet as with the white varieties, the resultant wines are truly excellent. The best parcels came from the Coldstream Hills Vineyards showing abundant, generous, ripe spicy fruit. The classification tasting in June confirmed the Reserve will be the best since 1997 and the varietal equal to the best since 1991. The stars of the vintage will be the Coldstream Hills Varietal and Reserve Merlot and Reserve Cabernets. These varieties have fully expressed their outstanding rich varietal flavour spectrum. They are classic wines in the making.

Murray Valley

The Murray Valley, which includes Sunraysia, Swan Hill and Robinvale, was looking towards a quick, early vintage after a mild, dry summer, though there were concerns early in the vintage about the effect of 'sick vines' on quantity and quality of chardonnay. High expectations had to be revised, though, when rains set in mid-February and made ripening difficult. This was exacerbated by many red vineyards being out of balance in terms of fruit-to-canopy ratios. The better parcels of chardonnay will contribute to Lindemans Bin 65. The reds will make contributions to mainstream labels such as Queen Adelaide Regency Red and Matthew Lang Shiraz Cabernet.

Rutherglen

Overall, it was a disappointing year for Rutherglen and other parts of north-east Victoria, with vintage being affected by the same rains that made ripening difficult in inland New South Wales. Muscat and tokay mostly achieved target ripeness levels but in general both varieties lacked fruit flavour and intensity. Some good batches of young fortifieds have been produced - solid wines but without the district's expected depth.

Hunter Valley

The sun shone brightly in the Hunter Valley this year and some great wines have been produced, especially from the district's two traditional varieties, semillon and shiraz. Indeed, Lindemans Patrick Auld has tentatively declared 2000 the best vintage he has experienced in his 26 years in the Hunter.

Following good spring rains, the ripening period was cool, with no excessive heat during the all-important months of December and January. The rain stayed away right through ripening, and vintage was completed in mid-February without any interference from the weather. "We really did have a dream run," said Auld.

The vintage was outstanding enough for four separate batches of semillon to be set aside for the Lindemans brand - the standard Lindemans Hunter Valley Semillon, a Reserve Bin and two other parcels earmarked for later inclusion in the Lindemans Classic Release program. This is the first vintage since 1995 that this has been possible.

All the wines show lovely natural acidity and are highlighted by an abundance of the lemon/lime flavours that are the hallmarks of Hunter semillons destined for prolonged aging and potential greatness. There will also be a wonderful 2000 Semillon for release under the Tulloch John Younie label (Cellar Door only).

Some exceptional verdelho was harvested, with most to be released under the Tulloch Verdelho label and the best parcels to be used for a limited cellar-door-only release of Tulloch John Younie Verdelho.

Shiraz performed magnificently, producing wines with ample regional, peppery character and an alluring, chocolatey softness. These again will be long-living wines that demonstrate 2000's strong claim for inclusion among the Hunter's great vintages.

Three separate parcels have been prepared for the Lindemans brand - the standard Lindemans Hunter Valley Shiraz, Lindemans Steven Vineyard Shiraz and the Lindemans Hunter Valley Ben Ean Reserve Shiraz. "They are simply great wines," said Auld. "I'm sure that the Steven and the Reserve will make the Lindemans Classic Release program."

There will also be a fine red released under the Tulloch Hector label.

Tumbarumba

Winter was very dry and a light frost in October caused minimal damage. Intermittent rain from January onwards led to a difficult growing season. However, growers with good canopy-to-crop balance and appropriate pest and disease management practices were rewarded with good to exceptional parcels of fruit for both sparkling and table wines.

Some parcels of pinot noir and chardonnay, particularly from the company's own vineyards, have been classified to Seppelt Salinger and Edwards & Chaffey.

Outstanding chardonnay parcels, for Penfolds Yattarna, were also produced. These show excellent, lifted citrus characters and exceptional length and depth of palate flavour. They have the finesse and palate structure to be long-living wines.

Pinot noir, destined for the Hungerford Hill brand, shows ripe, varietal aromas and a fleshy palate.

Mia/Barooga

After a promising start to the season, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) was hampered by March-April rains which affected ripening and harvest. A number of the district's growers are showing an increasing awareness of steering away from the tonnage mentality towards a quality-oriented approach and their foresight was well rewarded.

White varieties, especially chardonnay, that were harvested before the rains set in produced some good wines which will easily make classification for Lindemans Bin 65.

Some excellent botrytised semillon was also produced.

Generally, red varieties struggled to achieve the necessary degree of ripeness to be considered for inclusion in premium products.

Barooga was a highlight for Southcorp Wines Eastern Region Grape Resources Manager, Nigel Logos. "It seemed to be right in the eye of the storm, missing rains which affected the MIA to the east and the Murray Valley to the west," he said.

As a result, the area has produced cabernet sauvignon that will be classified into Penfolds Koonunga Hill and chardonnay that easily qualifies for Lindemans Bin 65.

Margaret River

Devil's Lair experienced a relatively wet, mild spring with above-average rainfall in January. Shoot growth at Christmas was excellent. February onwards was mild to warm and dry. The region avoided most rainfall showers that passed to the south-west side until vintage was complete. Crop loads were good and only down a small percentage compared to original estimate and the reductions recorded in the eastern states. Good baumès were achieved for all varieties.

All white varieties were harvested in March along with some reds. Picking of the rest of the reds, mainly shiraz and some cabernet sauvignon, finished in early April. An especially rewarding achievement was the harvesting of fruit with very good flavour and depth from new development blocks, many of them planted just 18 months previously.

Quality of white varieties was a real highlight for the 2000 vintage.

Semillon and sauvignon blanc were generally of much better quality than from the 1999 vintage, due mainly to lower yields. The sauvignon blanc is particularly elegant, showing fruity gooseberry aromas rather than characters from the vegetative end of the spectrum. The semillon shows quite strong citrus and grassy flavours without too much of the herbal element sometimes associated with the variety in Margaret River. It has racy acidity and a long palate. The high quality of these wines will ensure that Fifth Leg white will be a stunning wine and offer tremendous value for money.

Chardonnay was harvested in first-rate condition. Winemaker Janice McDonald says, "Chardonnay shows excellent flavour and has been rated as excellent". It was the stand-out variety of the vintage at Devil's Lair and at least as good as the highly rated chardonnay from 1999. The wines are powerful yet elegant, and show strong citrus flavours and tight palate structure. Some parcels exhibit an attractive honeysuckle fragrance. The Devil's Lair Margaret River Chardonnay will be a great, long-living wine.Red varieties had a tough act to follow after the 1999 vintage, which is generally regarded as the best of the decade for red wine in Margaret River, but they stood the test extremely well.

Cabernet franc performed especially well, producing wines with deep, rich, concentrated chocolate and white-mint flavours. For the first time since 1996, all of the cabernet franc will be included in the Fifth Leg Red.

Merlot shows perfumed aromatics and supple, plump fruit on the palate. Cabernet sauvignon performed exceptionally, especially on the older blocks. The wines are perfumed, with briary berry fruit aromas, and powerful flavours and ripe tannins on the palate.

The Fifth Leg Red will be a very good wine, with excellent palate structure and fine aromatics.

Shiraz ripened late and there were problems with leaf-roll virus and shrivelling of some 20 per cent of berries. However, the small berries produced good colour and flavour. Some of the first-crop shiraz was excellent and will help ensure that the Fifth Leg Red once again offers great quality and value.