Call it the beginning or the end of the Millennium, but for Australian grape growers the 2000 vintage continues its patchy and erratic form. Here’s an early indication of likely emergent quality. Be warned, however. It’s far too early to use these guidelines as absolute. Hunter Valley Brilliant warm but not hot dry season after late ripening in cooler than usual conditions. Great reds. Semillons perhaps too rich to be classic. Mudgee and NSW Central Highlands Very wet, near disastrous. Unlikely to see any big reds. Griffith OK quality with reduced yields. Yarra Valley Very patchy, very early, with low yields and not much flavour. Mornington Peninsula Patchy, depends on quality of vineyard management. Very early. Central Victoria Stressful, dry conditions lilely to make portier reds. Rutherglen Good fortified year. Very hot for table wines. Adelaide Hills Top year but yields are down. McLaren Vale Very poor, OK at best. Extremely hot, then wet. Terrible for reds. Langhorne Creek Very small crops. Clare Extremely hot, with very low yields. Very difficult and not optimistic. Barossa Extremely hot, yields well down. Coonawarra Very mixed bag. Very small crops indeed. Good to average at best, although some claiming very good. Margaret River Very good for reds, with bigger, fatter whites. Mount Barker Terrible. Too wet. Pemberton/Manjimup Very warm, could be good. Tasmania Should be very good in warmer year.
