2018 Australia Vintage

Yields were lower across most regions as a result of a dry winter, lower cropping after the big 2017 crop, and events such as hailstorms and heatwaves. Margaret River's winter rain ran 20 percent above average. On 4 November a single black frost damaged vines throughout the Limestone Coast and extended as far as the Grampians. The Barossa Valley had protracted hot weather in January and February, and on Kangaroo Island no rain fell from late December until 13 April, with 10 days peaking over 40 C. The Great Southern was virtually free of heat spikes. Halliday called ripening conditions in the Barossa perfect from the second half of March to the end of April, and Riverina picked all fruit before the end of March, a month earlier than in 2017.

• Coonawarra: December to mid-April rain of only 50 mm, half the normal
• McLaren Vale: 30 percent of average rainfall from October to March
• Swan Valley: over 60 mm of rain in a tropical storm on 16 January

The crush in cool and temperate regions fell 20 percent and in warm inland regions 5 percent, with Padthaway, Wrattonbully and Currency Creek among the hardest hit in percentage terms out of the largest regions; only Tasmania, the Yarra Valley and Gundagai increased among the top 20 regions. Coonawarra expected 50 percent of normal volume, from fruit losses to the frost and poor set, and Adelaide Plains yields were forecast 20 to 30 percent down.

• Hunter Valley: little rain in 10 months, yields down
• Mornington Peninsula: Halliday called it the best vintage for the past 30 years, comparable to 2004
• Great Southern: average to slightly above average yields

Halliday expected Barossa shiraz and grenache to show particular promise, with great colour and flavour, and Eden Valley and Clare Valley riesling to be site specific, the higher and cooler sites doing best. On the Limestone Coast, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and shiraz were expected to give intensely coloured, intensely flavoured wines with controlled tannin and extract. Cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot were the standouts at Langhorne Creek, while Hunter semillon was more of a mixed bag.

• Coonawarra Vignerons describe the region's Cabernet as deep dark in colour with soft ripe tannins
• First Drop's Matt Gant told Wine Spectator the 2018s would be rich and full-flavored, less aromatic and pretty than the 2017s

The average purchase price rose 8 percent to $609 per tonne, the highest since 2008, while the crush value fell 3 percent to $1.11 billion. Red tonnage fell 15 percent and white 4 percent.

• Reds averaged $768 per tonne, up 11 percent; whites $444, up 5 percent
• Grenache crush down 24 percent