2007 Australia Vintage

Widespread drought plus sporadic, severe frost in mid-spring (October) affected red grapes in particular, and especially cooler climate regions: Victoria's Yarra Valley and Heathcote, South Australia's Limestone Coast (Coonawarra and Wrattonbully) and Northern Tasmania. Only Western Australia escaped the extreme weather, thanks to ocean breezes and adequate rainfall. Grape set was reduced, and berries were smaller than usual, with thicker skins. Summer temperatures were never excessively high, and although early-autumn rains caused some disruption, the harvest was mostly straightforward if very early, by up to six weeks in some places. In the Barossa, a severe lack of rainfall during the growing season left grapes struggling for physiological ripeness and colour.

• Widespread drought and severe October frost, especially in cooler regions
• Barossa: severe lack of rainfall during the growing season
• Harvest very early, by up to six weeks in some places; early-autumn rains caused some disruption
• Drought, frosts and bushfire smoke taint cut the national grape intake

The Barossa Grape and Wine Association's own report called 2007 a vintage where sub-region mattered. Deep rooted old vines in the north and west of the Barossa withstood the severe moisture stress of prolonged drought, and their red wines had better acid, colour and concentration than those from the south, where many wines were savoury and lacking in mid palate richness. Eden Valley whites such as Riesling were tight and minerally with great aging potential.

• Barossa north and west: old vines withstood drought stress; reds with better acid, colour and concentration
• Barossa south: many wines savoury and lacking mid palate richness
• Eden Valley Riesling: tight and minerally with great aging potential

The WFA's June 2007 report estimated the crush at 1.42 million tonnes, down 483,000 tonnes on 2006. Red intake fell 35 percent, to 678,000 tonnes and 48 percent of the total, while white intake fell 14 percent to 741,000 tonnes. Shiraz fell 36 percent to about 293,000 tonnes and lost its place as Australia's largest winegrape variety to Chardonnay, down 8 percent to 395,000 tonnes. The WFA expected the lower intake to significantly reduce wine stocks and relieve some of the downward pressure on wine and grape prices.

• Crush about 1.42 million tonnes, down just over 25 percent
• Shiraz down 36 percent; Chardonnay became the largest variety at 28 percent of the crush
• Lower intake expected to significantly reduce wine stocks

Decanter's vintage guide found inconsistent quality in the reds, with ripeness to the fore. Lower bunch weights and small berries gave juicy, densely coloured reds with expressive flavours, though some producers coped with the drought and frosts better than others. Shiraz (big and succulent) and Grenache (spicy and polished) from McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley were the most successful; elsewhere, a tendency towards overripeness meant Cabernets in particular lacked elegance. Yarra Valley Pinot Noir was another one to look out for, in Decanter's view.

• Shiraz and Grenache from McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley most successful
• Yarra Valley Pinot Noir one to look out for