2010 Australian Vintage

The 2010 vintage arrived as a genuine turning point for Australian wine. After the prolonged southern Australian drought of the early to mid-2000s, 2010 brought season-vital rains and above average soil moisture across many regions. The break from the record heat and wildfires of 2009 gave growers considerably easier harvest conditions, and the results showed in the glass. Top wines were evenly spread across the country's leading regions rather than concentrated in one area.

• Ended the prolonged drought that had affected southern Australia through the early to mid-2000s
• Above average soil moisture benefited regions including Coonawarra, which saw ideal growing conditions
• Minimal disease pressure across the vintage contributed to high-quality fruit
• A clear contrast to the extreme heat and wildfire disruptions of 2009

The season began with early budburst driven by mild late spring conditions. Warmer than average temperatures through October pushed harvest forward by as much as two weeks in some regions. Cool nights in mid-March then slowed the final stages of ripening for later-harvested varieties, helping to preserve natural acidity and develop fine tannin structure. McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills benefited from mild temperatures and cool nights during the critical ripening window. One notable disruption was an unseasonal heatwave in early November that coincided with flowering in the Barossa Valley, reducing Grenache yields and impacting Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in some vineyards.

• Early budburst due to mild late spring; harvest up to two weeks ahead in some regions
• Cool nights in mid-March preserved acidity and extended ripening for later varieties
• Heatwave during Barossa flowering reduced Grenache and affected some Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon
• Yields were below average in some areas but generally up compared to the 2009 vintage

Wines from the 2010 vintage show fully ripe fruit with good tannic structure and well-developed flavours. The even growing season produced finer tannins than many previous years, and the combination of natural acidity with concentrated fruit gave wines genuine elegance and balance. White wines were a particular highlight, with Semillon delivering its purest varietal expression in several years. Varietal character was clear and defined across the board, from Riesling and Chardonnay through to Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Fine tannin structure attributed to the even, well-paced growing season
• Semillon considered the purest varietal expression in several years
• Wines show good balance of natural acidity and concentrated fruit
• Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Viognier, and Pinot Noir all performed well

The 2010 vintage drew exceptional critical praise across the board. Jeremy Oliver awarded scores of 19 or more out of 20 to 69 Australian wines from this vintage, a figure that dwarfs the 35 wines reaching that threshold in 2009 and the 23 from 2011. Penfolds Grange and Wynns John Riddoch were among the standout performers, each earning 19.5 out of 20. Notably, the top-scoring wines came from producers spread across the country's leading regions rather than clustered in a single area, underlining the vintage's consistent quality nationwide.

• 69 wines scored 19 or above out of 20 by Jeremy Oliver, nearly double the 2009 tally
• Penfolds Grange scored 19.5 out of 20
• Wynns John Riddoch also scored 19.5 out of 20
• High-scoring wines came from producers across multiple top Australian regions