Vintage 2019 is done, the first wines of the season have been bottled and the reds are resting in barrel

Vintage 2019 will be remembered for the extremes, extreme weather events (frost, hail, wind and heat) and extremely low yields (some of our vineyards were down 90% on 2018) and importantly for the consumer, extreme quality.

Firstly to the weather, a dry winter, an even dryer spring and summer compounded by wind at flowering and heat meant that the crops were always going to be down. Add to this late frost and in some parts of the Barossa hail, and you have a perfect storm for low crops. And the crops were extraordinarily low. The lowest for 10 years or more. But unlike most very low crop years, the quality was truly outstanding. Small berries picked in absolutely perfect condition, good balance of acid, tannin and fruit flavours.

All varieties faired well, Shiraz looks rich and powerful, the Grenache particularly at our home block some of the best we have seen, and the whites again fresh, ripe with great acid retention.

The first of the 2019 wines, our Rose, was bottled last week and it looks wonderful. A blend of Estate Grenache and Mataro, savoury, dry and only the palest of pink in colour. Will be very good but like most of the wines from the vintage, will be in very short supply, only 300 odd bottles made.

Look out for the 2019s when they are bottled, they should be excellent, but will be in very short supply.