Australia’s Wakefield Wines predicts 2018 Shiraz will be ‘best vintage of the century’

Clare Valley’s Wakefield Wines has stated that it is “very excited” about the quality of wines from the 2018 vintage, and in particular its Shiraz, which it proclaims as being the best vintage in “possibly the past century”.

Despite the fact that the detailed assessment of its red wines has not yet taken place, Wakefield believes that it will be “a five-star vintage that will rival some of the best wines [we] have ever produced”.

Nailing their colours to the mast are third-generation family member and managing director Mitchell Taylor (Wakefield trades as Taylors Wines in Australia) and head winemaker, Adam Eggins.

Cooler and drier conditions were experienced in the run-up to the 2018 harvest, providing a long, slow ripening period with little disease pressure. Rainfall was also below average, with small quantities falling little and often, helping to maintain soil moisture levels. The winery was able to draw on its water reserves during a brief period of hot weather prior to veraison.

Taylor stated: “2018 will be a vintage to rival the very best from South Australia.

“We are very excited about the quality of the classic varieties from this vintage. In terms of the whites (Chardonnay and Riesling), the generally cool season leading up to harvest has brought about lower alcohol levels and at the same time, lower yields delivering highly aromatic wines with very pure and distinct varietal characters. It’s one of those terrific ‘win-win’ situations.

“When it comes to the reds, (Cabernet, Merlot & Shiraz), at this early stage, the colours and flavour concentrations in the young reds are the best we have seen in a long time and the general consensus is that it’s looking like one of the best red vintages of the past decade; for Shiraz in particular, possibly the past century”.