1997 Australian Vintage Report

"We've gotten out of jail - saved by a hot April". John Duval's comments perfectly sum up this year's vintage in much of Australia. For the sixth year in a row, most regions had a cool summer, and ripening was so delayed that vineyard managers and winemakers could not see how the fruit could possibly ripen, particularly in the cooler regions. But ripen it did, with wonderful late March and April weather.

Winter rainfall had been excellent in most districts and good rains continued into September and past bud-burst, bringing a very good start to vine growth. A drier weather pattern developed during October and with the clearer skies came the frost. Widespread damage occurred throughout the inland regions around the Murray River on several days in late September and again on 20th October. Unlike the previous spring, re-growth showed poor fruitfulness. Further frosts in late November badly damaged some higher vineyards in New South Wales. It was cool in most regions and vine growth was one to two weeks late.

The weather changed dramatically from late January. An influx of moist, tropical weather into northern and central New South Wales produced frequent deluges in the Hunter Valley, dashing expectations of an excellent vintage, and brought unseasonable storms and high humidity to the central west.

Further south, a slow-moving high-pressure system brought very hot, dry weather to South Australia and Victoria in mid February. Temperatures in most regions were around 40°C for nearly a week and the vines generally shut down, with little photosynthesis or ripening occurring. Apart from some instances of leaf-burn, there appears to have been little damage to the health of vines, although the heat upset the normal ripening processes in many parts of South Australia, particularly the warmer inland regions. The cooler areas to the south were less affected, since the heat came at an earlier stage of ripening. The weather following this heat was very cool and further delayed the ripening in many areas, bringing yet another late vintage throughout the country.

A series of high pressure systems brought five weeks of warm, dry weather from early April which allowed grapes in all regions which had not yet harvested to reach both sugar and flavour ripeness.

Whites varieties, particularly chardonnay, in the warmer areas are very good, so the standard of the large volume commercial lines will be excellent. Riesling and semillon were largely successful, more so in the cooler areas, but sauvignon blanc was often a bit plain. Shiraz generally performed better than cabernet sauvignon in quality, and certainly quantity, although there will be many exceptions. There should be excellent pinot noirs from all regions in southern Victoria.

Pest and disease pressure has been very low this season, apart from occasional outbreaks of powdery mildew in parts of South Australia and botrytis in the wetter areas of New South Wales and in Margaret River.

Yields have been variable, with frost, cold weather during flowering, heatwaves and lack of rainfall all playing their part, separately or in combination. The national crush is expected to come in at about 830,000 tonnes, below last year's record of 885,000 tonnes, in spite of 2000ha of new vineyard coming into production. Premium varieties are expected to have increased, while the crush of multi-purpose varieties has plummeted, owing to a dreadful year for sultanas and some over-production in the 1996 vintage.

But overall, most winemakers are rejoicing at the great quality that has appeared at the eleventh hour when, in early March it had simply not seemed possible.

New South Wales

Hunter Valley
Budburst was uneven, but very good berry set and bunch numbers suggested an above average crop for the Hunter, and useful follow-up rain set the area up with the best start for many years. A massive hailstorm caused widespread damage to buildings and cars at Singleton in early December and one vineyard was completely destroyed but the main grape-growing areas, about 25km away, were barely affected. However, repeated bursts of rain during late January and February caused widespread bunch-rot in white varieties and most grapes had to be picked before they were ripe. Phillip John said that the semillon and chardonnay were "the worst he had seen" and there will be none bottled for Lindemans this year. Verdelho was picked before the rain, however, and Tulloch has a very good wine.

The weather turned fine later in vintage and shiraz grapes came in very well. Pat Auld says that he's amazed how well the shiraz has turned out. The wines are the best since 1991 and better than some vintages that were climatically much easier. There will be a soft, beautifully structured Lindemans Hunter Shiraz, a Steven Vineyard and probably a Ben Ean Vineyard Reserve Shiraz, an exciting development. "It's a credit to our people in the vineyard for the job they did delivering some very good fruit under horrible conditions," Pat added.

Central West
Mild, moist spring weather with increasing warmth through October gave an excellent start to the season in Cowra, Mudgee and Young. Isolated storms in Young and Cowra caused some hail damage and an extraordinary cold spell in late November brought hail, snow and cold winds to many parts of the area, but damage was localised. Flowering was often quite extended, taking up to three weeks, but was generally successful. January and February brought unusually stormy conditions, and the hot, humid weather, rare to the west of the Dividing Range at this time of year, provoked some outbreaks of botrytis. Chardonnay grapes at Cowra were below expectation, lacking full ripeness and concentration, in some vineyards thanks to heavy cropping, although Ian Walsh says he's pleased with his Hungerford Hill wine. Whites from Young and Mudgee were generally similar. Reds were uneven, the highlight being some very impressive cabernet sauvignon from Young.

Barooga
The area had a good start to the season, with mild spring weather and good rains. A -1.5°C frost on 25th September caused about 10% loss on some chardonnay blocks. January and February weather was unusually hot and supplementary watering was needed frequently. The harvest started on 27th February with chardonnay for sparkling wine base. Rain in the beginning of March delayed further picking but the final result was excellent with both yields and quality good for chardonnay, a surprise after such a protracted harvest. Small quantities of very good cabernet and shiraz were made.

Riverina
This was a very uneven vintage, with the crop virtually split into two categories - healthy, balanced lighter crops that ripened early and well, and unbalanced, overcropped vines that were slow to ripen. Shiraz, in particular, showed this split strongly. The better semillon and chardonnay parcels were good, although some did not reach target baumés.

Alpine
Cold, wet, wintry weather persisted into September in the Tumbarumba region, but the weather turned warmer in October providing very good growing conditions. Unfortunately, a severe frost in mid November destroyed all growth on the flat parts of the Tumbarumba vineyard, including all chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot gris. The pinot noir vineyards on the slope escaped damage and contract grape growers in the region were largely unaffected. Otherwise, the Tumbarumba vineyard and growers have had a very good growing season, with a warm, dry summer, the altitude ameliorating the effects of the February heat wave.

Picking started on 14th March with pinot noir for sparkling wine. Ian McKenzie describes Seppelt's sparkling bases as "pretty good without being really outstanding". The excellent vintage weather helped the fruit reach good ripeness for table wines; chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are of high quality, as was pinot noir. Older vines and a greater understanding of the right trellising techniques in this cold area are helping vineyard managers to maximise quality.

South Australia

Barossa Valley
Good spring rainfall continued the excellent start which the winter rains had provided. Several light frosts occurred towards the end of September and hail caused localised damage on at least two occasions. Heavy rainfall on 30th September caused widespread flooding and a few vignerons inspected their vineyards by boat. Vine growth was erratic, owing to cool conditions in October, but fruit set was good.

The weather then turned dry, with a cool November and increased warmth in December. Showers in mid February caused some concern, but brought no problems, as they were following by seven days of extreme heat which not only dried out the vineyards, but slowed vine activity. The cool weather that followed further delayed ripening and the vines only really began to function normally again in the second week of March.

Semillon suffered from heat stress and, although of good quality, the wines don't equal the great 1996s. Other whites followed a similar pattern, with rieslings on the broad side and chardonnay attractive, but lacking fruit intensity. Reds, however, are of high quality, and shiraz has excelled for the third year in a row. "It makes you wonder why you'd grow anything but shiraz in the Barossa", said Penfolds' John Duval. "Cabernet is less even, but grenache and mourvèdre are outstanding, so we have a good quantity of the Old Vines red." James Godfrey is delighted with his fortified material. "The Barossa was excellent," he said. "We have some stunning shiraz for the top-end ports like DP90." The palomino for the Seppeltsfield sherries was also very good.

Eden Valley
The excellent winter rains continued into September with falls 60% above average. Growth was slow in the cold spring, but this picked up towards the end of October with the return of warmer weather. The flowering was successful, with an absence of the winds which often badly affect fruit set in this area.

The hills around Eden Valley were not immune to the February heat, but the vines came through well, according to vineyard manager Allen Jenkins. "We pulled out all stops with the irrigation, and the canopies and crops haven't suffered," he said. "The crops look beautiful." However, at the beginning of March the nights turned very cold.

The harvest started on 14th March, with chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier for sparkling base. The table wine fruit followed, but was generally two weeks late. The rieslings are the best for many years, with excellent ripeness and acidity. Leo Buring's Leonay, the best riesling of the vintage, will be from Eden Valley this year and Geoff Henriks has also selected a small parcel as a maturation reserve, for release in perhaps 10 years. Chardonnay is good, showing elegance rather than power while sauvignon blanc was only fair. Shiraz was very good indeed and Neville Falkenberg says that Tollana's TR16 "is looking pretty smart". Cabernet was good, if a little uneven.

Adelaide Hills
The spring was generally wet, with rainfall twice the September average and good falls in October. Continuing mild weather promoted minor powdery mildew infections. The season continued quite cool until the February heat-wave, but then returned to cool conditions, which delayed the vintage. Vineyards that carried lower crops, including some which were effectively crop-thinned by frost, produced very good quality, while some with heavier crops suffered from botrytis. Shiraz and semillon are very good, chardonnay more patchy and cabernet showed more consistent quality than elsewhere. There is a small parcel of an outstanding sauvignon blanc from Tollana.

The Partalunga vineyard suffered from the dry conditions after stored water ran out and some varieties did not reach the desired ripeness.

Adelaide
The weather in the few remaining vineyards around Adelaide generally reflects their proximity to McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills. John Duval is pleased with his Penfolds Magill Estate - "a good year", he thinks, without reaching the heights of 1990 or '91. Diners at the Magill Restaurant should not be disappointed.

Clare
September weather continued the wet, cold pattern Clare had experienced all winter. There were several frosts and light hail, but these brought no significant damage. October became drier and warmer and the clearer skies brought minor frost damage. The year finished very dry in the Clare Valley, although stored water was sufficient to maintain healthy canopies. Heavy overnight rain on 7th February - 75mm - was followed by several days of humid, drizzly weather, and then the burst of hot weather, with ten consecutive days over 35°C. After those contrasts, the harvest weather was fortunately ideal.

Vintage started on 11th March. As in Eden Valley, the rieslings are the best for many years, the February rain helping to maintain vine canopies and avoid sunburn. Geoff Henriks says the Leo Buring wine which will be released in July is virtually Leonay standard. (Leonay itself will be from Eden Valley this year). "We also have a lovely shiraz which we may release in a couple of years," Geoff added. John Duval reports an excellent wine for later release as the Penfolds Aged Riesling and thinks the chardonnays are the best since 1992. Geoff Henriks agrees, with his Leo Buring Chardonnay showing lovely melon and honeyed fruit. He also has a very good semillon. Merlot and cabernet are also good in Clare this year.

McLaren Vale
The winter's wet weather continued into spring, with September rainfall 55% above the mean and warm temperatures assisting vine growth. Two frosts caused little injury to vines, but a hail storm brought localised damage. October became drier, and unusually warm weather brought a very strong growth spurt. About 25mm of follow-up rain and continuing warm weather in November maintained excellent growth conditions for the vines.

January was quite mild in the Vales, before the burst of heat in February initially caused sugars to leap higher and then stop altogether. Early March was cool and the vintage was overall very late. Once again, McLaren Vale has delivered excellent chardonnay, and Mike Farmilo has the largest quantity of Seaview Chardonnay yet. Verdelho is outstanding. Mike reports "a top year across the board for McLaren Vale - shiraz, cabernet, merlot, grenache - they're all good". Sauvignon blanc is the only disappointment.

Riverland
Winter rainfall was excellent and budburst got away as normal in September. Then three frosts on 21st, 25th and 27th September hit, causing considerable damage to low-lying blocks, the vineyards to the west of Waikerie and around Loxton being the worst affected. Initial losses on the affected blocks appeared to be about 25%, although some were much worse. Re-growth was good, but unfortunately was mostly un-fruitful. October brought rather unsettled weather, with a high of 36°C late in the month and a few days of heavy rain. A further frost on 20th October caused damage, sultana, chenin blanc and shiraz showing the highest impact.

Cool, mild conditions were experienced in January with fruit development quite normal and the first grapes of the vintage, pinot noir from Morgan, were brought in on 22nd January. Since then, heavy rain in early February dropped sugar levels back before the heat-wave stopped the ripening altogether for about 10 days. March brought mild days and cool nights and the harvest ran about three weeks late, the latest that Alan Gilgen, Regional Vineyard Manager, can remember.

The whites are of very good quality across all varieties, with chardonnay the star. In reds, ruby cabernet was the outstanding performer, showing great colour, depth of flavour and richness. It should make a major contribution to the quality of Queen Adelaide Regency Red. Cabernet was good but shiraz rather ordinary.

Padthaway
September rainfall was nearly twice the average and cool weather continued into October, with rainfall slowing somewhat. Frosts caused damage to traminer, riesling and particularly sauvignon blanc. November and December brought much drier weather and the season remained cool.

January was pleasantly warm, but conditions changed in February as the widespread heat-wave hit, with temperatures frequently above 40°C. Some leaf-burn occurred, but there was no sun-burnt fruit and little impact on sugar levels. Temperatures from early March were cool and ripening proceeded well, although in an unusual sequence, with the shiraz harvest starting around 12th March, a week before chardonnay. Vineyard Manager Kym Ayliffe reported the second highest February temperatures and the second lowest March temperatures for 20 years. ""No other year in Padthaway's 33-year viticultural history would have faced such extreme contrasts during the growing season," he said.

Chardonnay quality was uneven, but the best barrel-fermented portions are excellent and Phillip John has made the largest quantity yet of Padthaway Chardonnay for Lindemans. Riesling was of high quality, but sauvignon blanc, mostly lost to frost, was ordinary. "Reds didn't hit the high notes of the last two years," said John Duval, "but shiraz is very good and the red quality overall is very consistent, with all but a couple of batches making premium wine."

Coonawarra
The wet winter weather extended into spring, with well above average rainfall in September and temperatures generally cool. October brought average rainfall but was still cool. Several light frosts occurred but produced no damage. The cool weather continued into November and December, with average temperatures 1-2°C below normal and the season appeared to be one to two weeks late. A difficult flowering period badly affected cabernet sauvignon's crop potential.

After a cool, dry December, January produced some welcome rain and pleasantly warm weather. But Coonawarra did not escape February's extreme heat and temperatures in the 40°Cs were common. After that, the weather turned cold again, with foggy mornings and heavy dews, and the prospects for vintage did not look good.

The harvest started in the week of 17th March with pinot noir and chardonnay for sparkling wine. Then a dramatic change in weather from early April brought the summer that Coonawarra had never had. After the gloom earlier in the season, the winemakers now find they have an excellent red vintage in hand. Some claim the best shiraz since 1993 and the best cabernet since 1991.

Peter Douglas is delighted with his Wynns reds. "We were extremely lucky with that great weather in April," he said. "They have richness and ripe fruit and the potential of the 1993s or even better." There will be both a John Riddoch Cabernet and Michael Shiraz from '97. As in Padthaway, chardonnay was uneven, but Peter Douglas is very pleased with his wine - a fine, "citrusy wine" with good acidity, which he likens to his '94. Riesling is also fine and quite austere in style and will make a good keeper. Merlot was a great success and will make a major contribution to Lindemans Pyrus although, pressed for his choice of the Lindemans "Trio", Greg Clayfield said he'd put his money on Limestone Ridge. Pinot noir is exceptional, with Paul Gordon from Rouge Homme ecstatic. "Our pinot will give some of those supposedly better areas a run for their money". Paul is delighted with his cabernet and shiraz, too.

Robe
The Southcorp Robe Vineyard has produced its first crop of shiraz grapes. The wine is very good but, curiously, shows distinct black pepper chararacters more reminiscent of western Victoria than nearby Coonawarra. No decision has yet been made on its destiny.

Victoria

Great Western
Wet weather in late winter delayed vineyard work, but provided a very good start to the season. Good rains continued through until the second week of October and then stopped abruptly. The warm, sunny days were good for vine growth, but rainfall remained low and soils started to dry quite rapidly.

After a cool, overcast and relatively wet December, the weather became dry again and the next two months were very hot, with temperatures consistently above 35°C for over two weeks in February. Some vines showed stress, although there was enough stored water to replenish soil moisture and by late February the weather had become milder and ideal for ripening. March was dry and cold and picking began on 12th March with sauvignon blanc and early chardonnay for sparkling base. A warm, dry April brought the later varieties to full ripeness. "One of the best vintages since I've been here, if not the best of all," said Ian McKenzie. "Chardonnay is excellent, the reds outstanding, particularly the GW Vineyard Shiraz, and riesling's also very good. The yields were above average, too."

Sunraysia
The season started very well, following good winter rainfall, but September frosts caused widespread damage, mostly to sultanas. More frosts in October resulted in further vine injury. As in the Riverland, re-growth was not as fruitful as had been hoped. The summer was the driest since 1946, so the heavy rain - 50mm in two hours - on 8th February allowed the vines to maintain their condition, rather than causing damage, and helped them survive the mid-month heat-wave. Vineyard Manager Len Schliefert says the vines certainly felt the heat but held up well.

The sultana crop was the lowest for several years, but other varieties came in very well, particularly chardonnay. The first semillon from the new Lake Cullulleraine vineyard was outstanding. It will make a major contribution to Lindemans Classic Dry White and give a great lift to some export blends. "I'm very excited about that vineyard", said Lindemans' Phillip John. "The potential is enormous."

Yarra Valley
Spring was cold and wet, with September rainfall 62% above average, although by the end of the month increased warmth had promoted an even budburst. The weather became fine and mild in the second week of October, a welcome contrast to the last two springs, which have been extraordinarily wet in the Yarra. Bunch numbers were low on most varieties, the result of cold, cloudy weather the previous summer.

In an extraordinary reversal of the previous year, the Yarra experienced one of the hottest, driest summers on record. Only 22mm of rain fell in the first ten weeks of 1997 and February temperatures, as in South Australia, were frequently above 40°C. The vines stood up to the summer well, but the dry conditions led to small berries, further reducing the yield to one of the lowest yet. The harvest started with sauvignon blanc on 12th March and the rest of the vintage continued to be very late. James Halliday and Philip Dowell say that their reds are very strong, with the Coldstream Hills Pinot noir exceptional and the best performer of the vintage. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot show considerable intensity and chardonnay, too, is good, with ripe peachy flavours. Fruit from the Upper Yarra was particularly good, as the vines showed less moisture stress than elsewhere.

South-Western Victoria
The area had an excellent summer with warm, sunny days and very little rainfall. Daytime temperatures at the Drumborg Vineyard in January and February were 5°C above average, the highest since records began, but soil moisture and dam water were sufficient to last through the dry conditions. March weather was warm and ideal, and the vintage started about on time on 24th March with pinot noir and chardonnay for sparkling wine. Good weather continued through the harvest and the seven months to the end of April proved to be the driest on record in the area.

"It's been a pretty good vintage across the board in Drumborg," said Ian McKenzie, "with pinot noir the real highlight". Bucking the national trend, the first vintage of sauvignon blanc from Drumborg is excellent and there are very good parcels of chardonnay and one of pinot gris.

Western Australia

Margaret River
After very good spring rain and a great start to the season, Margaret River experienced its typically dry summer with mild to warm temperatures. Western Australia generally avoided the extreme February heat-wave which hit the eastern states. However, 75mm of rain overnight towards the end of the month, followed by humid weather, brought berry splitting and outbreaks of bunch rot. The rot dried up with spraying and the return of fine weather, but temperatures stayed cool, in the low to mid twenties, and ripening was slow. Vineyard Manager Simon Robertson could barely believe the late season, describing it as "a learning experience for me."

Vintage started with pinot noir on 11th March. Janice MacDonald thinks "things have turned out well after a difficult period. Cabernet's particularly good, as good as '96, with great intensity and balance. Chardonnay is finer in style and I'm very happy with it. Not 'great', without the great richness we sometimes get, but I'd have to say 'good'."