WESTERN AUSTRALIA VINTAGE GUIDE
Most recent vintage first. Click a year to see what we have in stock.
2024 - A warm, dry, early season in Margaret River with a calm harvest produced ripe, polished Cabernet with fine tannin and generous Chardonnay with good freshness. Early reports are very positive.
2023 - A mild, even year with a long, dry ripening period gave balanced, aromatic, classically structured wines — fine Cabernet and precise Chardonnay. Very good; a vintage to buy.
2022 - A warm, dry season with some heat in the summer produced ripe, concentrated, well-structured Cabernet and rich Chardonnay. Strong across the region.
2021 - A mild, dry summer with no heat spikes gave elegant, fresh, finely balanced wines — among the best recent vintages for both Cabernet and Chardonnay. Buy for the cellar.
2020 - A warm, dry, early year with low yields produced ripe, dense, forward wines; good quality in small quantity. Drink over the medium term.
2019 - A cool, wet spring followed by a warm, dry summer gave balanced, aromatic wines with good structure — very good Cabernet, excellent Chardonnay.
2018 - - Western Australia's 2018 vintage was uneventful—in a good way. The only source of apprehension for most growers was some early-season precipitation, but good canopy management went a long way towards mitigating that. Summer was mild and dry and heat spikes were minimal, creating an easy vintage for most producers with ample time at harvest to bring grapes in at optimal ripeness. The slightly cooler weather resulted in wines with high acidity and brightness, though some whites that might normally be considered early-drinking will benefit from time in bottle.
2017 - The west of the country had a more challenging season in 2017, with intermittent wet weather and cool temperatures forcing growers to take extra care in the vineyard, but the marquis regions and the best producers still made truly elegant and outstanding Cabernet and Chardonnays, especially in Margaret River. Great Southern dealt with much the same conditions throughout the season, but all in all, despite the difficulties, if producers took what the vintage gave them and worked diligently in the vineyard, chances are they made excellent wines in 2017. The highlights are truly exceptional Riesling and Pinot Noir, with the welcome addition of highly perfumed Shiraz, as well. The general quality of the finished wines in 2017 is a testament to the level of winemaking and viticulture skills currently at work in Western Australia.
2016 - A cold, wet winter led to an extended bud break and much higher yields. Rain at harvest pressured the growers, and while some regions suffered some difficulty with white varietals, by and large the rain didn't affect the quality of the reds at all. The cool weather should result in very fine wines overall, especially from the top estates in Margaret River.
2015 - Another solid year in WA. Perhaps not as good across the board as the previous three to four years but certainly not bad. Some people note the region being ravaged by birds leading to lots of spoiled fruit.
2014 - WA had less of a dramatic season than most parts of Australia despite getting off to a rough start with poor conditions during flowering and fruit set. However the summer was stable, moderate and a long dry fall allowed growers to pick at will. The resulting wines are of very high quality.
2013 - Like a mantra the good vintages keep rolling for WA. Again consistently good wines were made across the region with little in the way of major weather events to negatively impact the growing season.
2012 - Yet another good vintage. Quite classically styled and varietal. Bolder wines than in 2011 and maybe a bit more consistent across the region.
2011 - Somewhat overshadowed by the dramatically wet and challenging seasons other major growing regions of Australia, WA quietly enjoyed another good vintage. Classically aromatic cabernets, more gamey shiraz, and linear chardonnay
2010 - A cool, dry, mild season produced elegant, structured, long-lived wines — one of the great Margaret River vintages. The Cabernets are superb now and will keep.
2009 - A warm, even year gave ripe, generous, well-balanced wines — very good Cabernet and Chardonnay, drinking well now.
2008 - A warm, dry season with a hot spell at harvest produced ripe, full, forward wines. Mature; drink.
2007 - A hot, dry, early vintage with heat at harvest gave ripe, powerful, sometimes heavy wines; the best Cabernets have aged well. Drink.
2006 - A cool, wet, difficult year — the coolest in decades — produced light, variable wines; some elegant Chardonnays. Mostly past their best.
2005 - A mild, even season gave balanced, elegant, classic wines — excellent Cabernet with fine structure, still drinking well.
2004 - A warm, dry year produced ripe, generous, fruit-forward wines. Mature; drink.
2003 - A cool, late season gave fresh, lighter, aromatic wines. Mature now.
2002 - A cool, dry year produced elegant, finely structured, long-lived wines — very good Cabernet. Drinking well.
2001 - A warm, dry, classic Margaret River vintage gave ripe, structured, age-worthy Cabernet and rich Chardonnay — one of the best of the era. The top wines are still holding.
2000 - A warm year with an easy harvest gave ripe, generous, approachable wines. Fully mature; drink.