2019 Australia Vintage
Key French-origin variety names
A hot, fast Australian vintage that brought an early harvest for many, fires in several states and a crush close to the long-term average.
Halliday Wine Companion called 2019 a hot, hard and fast vintage across Australia. Extreme heat brought an early start and a harvest a month early for many. Fires broke out in parts of five states. The national crush was 1.73 million tonnes, 3 percent below 2018 and close to the long-term average.
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Extreme heat led to an early start across the country, with the Hunter Valley picking as far back as January. Central South Australia had a dry winter and extreme heat at crucial points in summer. In the Yarra Valley, Seville Estate had good winter and early spring rain, then an eight-week dry spell from mid-January. Heritage Estate in Queensland's Granite Belt called it the driest grape-growing season ever, trucking water daily. Rymill's Shannon Sutherland said Coonawarra avoided heatwaves. Harvest came a month early for many, while Margaret River had a delayed start and some Coonawarra wineries picked until Anzac Day. The national crush finished 3 percent below 2018.
- Central South Australia: dry winter and extreme heat at crucial points in summer
- Coonawarra (Rymill): picking from late February, finished after Anzac Day
- Average yield of 11.8 tonnes per hectare, against 12.2 in 2018
- National crush of 1.73 million tonnes, 3 percent below 2018
- Harvest came a month early for many, with the Hunter Valley starting in January
- Fires broke out in New England (NSW), Gippsland (Victoria), the Clare Valley (SA), the Granite Belt (Queensland) and southern Tasmania
- Reduced yields in central South Australia
- Red varieties rose 2 percent in production while whites fell 8 percent; Chardonnay fell 12 percent
- Average grape purchase price rose 9 percent to $664 per tonne, the highest since 2008
- Estimated crush value rose 6 percent to $1.17 billion
Fires and Regional Contrasts
The hot and dry conditions meant fires and the need for more water than normal for some, though in most places the blazes were contained. Warm inland regions had a very similar crop to 2018, with irrigation offsetting heat and dryness where available, while the Limestone Coast regions had relatively trouble-free vintages after a low-yielding 2018.
- By state: NSW down 3 percent, Victoria down 4, WA down 6
- Cool and temperate regions down 5 percent; warm inland regions down 2
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Red varieties fared better than whites in production. Chardonnay fell 12 percent to its lowest crush in five years. Chardonnay, semillon and sauvignon blanc were among the first picked, and the rich colours and heady aromas of shiraz had winemakers excited. In the Granite Belt, Heritage Estate's younger merlot, shiraz, grenache, mourvedre and tempranillo were struggling. Halliday said drinkers can expect aromatic, intensely flavoured wines from 2019.
- Shiraz down 2 percent, Cabernet Sauvignon up 3, Grenache down 15
- Chardonnay crush down around 50 percent in Eden Valley and the Adelaide Hills
- Pinot noir: smaller than usual bunches and berries
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See the Pivot+Economics of the Vintage
The average winegrape purchase price was $664 per tonne, up 9 percent and the highest since 2008. The total estimated value of the crush rose 6 percent to $1.17 billion, with the lower tonnages offset by higher average prices.
- Average purchase price $664 per tonne, highest since 2008
- Estimated crush value $1.17 billion, up 6 percent from $1.10 billion in 2018
- Crush: 1.73 million tonnes, 3 percent below 2018.
- Heat: hot, hard and fast; harvest came a month early for many.
- Exceptions: Coonawarra avoided heatwaves (Rymill); Margaret River had a delayed start.
- Central South Australia: dry winter, extreme summer heat, reduced yields.
- Fires: New England, Gippsland, Clare Valley, Granite Belt, southern Tasmania.
- Reds up 2 percent, whites down 8.
- Price: $664 per tonne, the highest since 2008.
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