Vintage 2019 - A Vintage to Remember

After releasing some really good wines in a vintage like the 2018—you could think that the following vintage would live in the shadow of such a successful group of wines. But that is absolutely not the case. We’re actually even more excited for this month’s release of the 2019 Shiraz based Barossa Valley Wines—a vintage that combines sensitive winemaking with deeply concentrated fruit flavours from pristine grapes born from an exceptional growing season. It’s was also our first vintage in our new winery on Mattiske Road, our first vintage that we retained all the grapes from our Estate Vineyard, so definitely a special vintage to buy for now and for the cellar. The 2019 vintage shiraz based wines, and the grenache’s and mataro’s that were released previously are enjoyable to drink now but will cellar for years to come. 2019 is certainly up there with 2016 as one our all-time best years.

So what made 2019 such a great vintage for the Barossa Valley GI.

The 2019 Vintage Enjoyed favourable Weather

Mother Nature was very good to us right out of the gate and delivered a truly superb vintage. Despite the ongoing drought, and another dry season our old vines coped well. In September, the Barossa Valley experienced below average maximum temperatures which delayed budburst and early vine growth. Frost was a constant threat with two frosts in our Ebenezer vineyards in late September and early November. Stone Well escaped the frost. The flowering period was windy and unsettled, and a hailstorm on 22 November topped it all off. But conditions were excellent through the growing season, occasionally warm to hot days, but nights were cool and by the end of March all our Barossa Valley grapes were harvested – one of the earliest on record. Resulting yields in most vineyards were below average, in many well below. Might not sound perfect, but the resulting grapes were extra good.

The Grapevines Grew in Balance Throughout the Growing Season

At Hayes Family Wines we have always followed the principle that you need balanced vines to make balanced wines, and 2019 is one of those ideal vintages where the grapevines grew in harmony from spring and summer to autumn. The pursuit of vine balance begins at the end of winter when grapevines awaken from dormancy and burst their tiny buds. If the buds break uniformly—i.e. in balance—they will, in theory, go through flowering evenly, resulting in balanced, small, but not too small berries. During summer months, fruit set and veraison, the colour change of the red grapes, will also happen evenly in balance as long as no strange weather events, such as significant heat spikes or rain events. Thanks to the good weather during these important times during the lifecycle of the grapevines, 2019 grapes were so evenly ripened that they possessed more power, tannin, and fruit with natural acid than the 2018 peer wines.

The 2019 Shiraz Vintage Endured No Intense Sustained Heat

Sustained periods of high temperatures can cause the vines to shut down and not ripen their fruit. Short spikes however seem to characterise those vintages that display classic Barossa characters. Barossa is not a cool climate, but neither is it a hot climate. After some warm to hot days, temperatures remained relatively mild, warm and the grapes developed the characters we all strive for, plush dark fruit flavours, small but not tiny berries and a richness for which we all strive.

2019 is a Great Vintage for Hayes Family Wines

All our red grapes, Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro from the Barossa Valley were picked during March, starting with the Stone Well Shiraz, and finishing with the Ebenezer Mataro. Crops were well down across most varieties, with Grenache being the exception. Our wines that we have produced are up there with our best wines, the 2016s, but given this was our first vintage in our new winery, it felt extra special. These are wines not to be missed.

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