Wine Reviews

Regional Style Review

Vintage reputation is an important factor in overall market sentiment. Listed by state and scored out of ten, this is Langton's quick reference guide to vintage for 53 of Australia’s most important regional wine styles.

Review Data

> New South Wales       Vintage   '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09
Hunter Valley Cabernet Blends   5 9 8 8 4 6 7 9 7 6 9 7 9 7 10 8 9 8 7 10 7 8 10 8 4 7
Hunter Valley Chardonnay   5 7 8 7 4 6 6 8 7 6 9 7 8 7 10 7 9 7 8 10 8 8 8 8 4 9
Hunter Valley Semillon   - - 10 8 4 8 8 8 7 7 8 7 9 8 10 8 9 8 9 10 8 8 9 9 6 10
Hunter Valley Shiraz   5 6 8 7 4 6 7 10 7 6 7 6 9 6 10 8 9 7 7 10 8 8 10 8 4 7
Mudgee Chardonnay   - - - - - - 6 6 5 6 8 8 8 5 9 6 5 4 8 7 7 7 9 6 4 9
Mudgee Shiraz   - - - - - - 7 7 5 5 8 9 8 5 9 8 5 4 9 7 7 7 9 6 4 9
Orange Cabernet Sauvignon   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 8 7 6 8 8 7 8 9 9 6 7 8
Orange Chardonnay   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 8 7 6 8 7 7 8 9 9 7 7 9
Orange Shiraz   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 8 7 6 8 8 7 8 9 9 6 7 8
Riverina (Murrumbidgee) Botrytis Semillon   10 5 5 8 8 3 8 6 6 9 10 9 9 8 8 9 9 9 7 7 9 7 8 - - 7
Southern NSW Cabernet Sauvignon   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 9 7 7 9 10 7 8 9 8 7 9 8
Southern NSW Chardonnay   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 9 7 7 9 10 7 8 8 8 7 8 8
Southern NSW Shiraz   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 9 7 7 9 10 7 8 9 8 8 10 8
Southern NSW Shiraz-Viognier   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 9 7 7 9 10 7 8 10 8 8 10 10
 
> South Australia       Vintage   '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09
Adelaide Hills Chardonnay   - - - - - - - 9 8 7 7 9 9 8 10 7 7 6 10 8 9 8 7 8 6 10
Barossa Valley Penfolds Grange   7 6 10 7 9 7 10 10 7 6 9 6 10 6 10 9 7 9 10 6 9 8 9 - - -
Barossa Valley Shiraz   - - 10 6 8 5 10 10 6 8 8 7 10 7 10 9 7 8 9 6 8 8 9 6 6 8
Clare Valley Riesling   - - 10 8 7 6 10 7 7 7 8 9 8 10 8 9 6 8 10 7 7 10 9 7 9 10
Clare Valley Shiraz   - - 10 7 8 5 10 10 7 8 9 6 9 7 10 8 7 9 9 6 6 8 10 7 8 9
Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon   7 7 10 6 7 5 10 10 6 7 8 4 9 7 10 8 9 7 9 8 9 9 9 7 8 8
Coonawarra Shiraz   7 7 9 6 7 6 10 10 7 7 9 5 9 7 10 8 9 7 9 8 9 9 9 7 8 8
Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon   8 7 10 6 8 7 10 10 6 9 8 7 9 7 10 7 7 9 9 6 7 8 7 8 8 8
Eden Valley Henschke Hill of Grace   7 7 10 6 7 6 10 10 6 9 8 8 9 7 10 7 7 9 10 7 7 9 10 8 7 8
Eden Valley Riesling   8 7 8 8 7 8 10 9 8 8 8 7 10 10 8 7 7 9 9 7 8 9 9 7 10 8
Eden Valley Shiraz   8 7 10 6 8 7 10 10 6 9 8 7 9 7 10 7 7 9 9 7 7 8 9 8 7 8
McLaren Vale Shiraz   6 6 7 6 8 5 10 10 7 7 8 6 10 7 10 5 7 9 9 7 9 8 8 7 8 8
Padthaway Chardonnay   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 10 8 8 9 9 7 7 8 8 7 7 7
Padthaway Shiraz   - - - - - - 9 9 5 6 7 5 10 8 10 9 8 9 9 7 7 8 9 7 7 7
 
> Tasmania       Vintage   '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09
Eastern Tasmania Various   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 9 7 9 7 8 6 6 10 9 7 9 8
Northern Tasmania Various   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 9 7 8 7 10 7 7 10 9 7 8 8
Southern Tasmania Various   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 9 6 8 6 10 7 6 10 9 7 8 8
 
> Victoria       Vintage   '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09
Beechworth Chardonnay   - - 9 7 8 8 9 10 8 8 7 7 8 7 10 7 9 8 10 8 10 10 8 4 9 6
Beechworth Pinot Noir   - - 9 6 8 7 9 10 8 8 7 8 9 6 9 9 9 8 10 8 9 9 9 4 8 4
Geelong Chardonnay   - - - - - - 7 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 9 7 9 9 8 8 7 9 7 8 6
Geelong Pinot Noir   - - - - 8 7 9 9 8 6 8 9 8 9 7 8 8 9 9 8 8 8 9 7 7 6
Gippsland Pinot Noir   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 9 8 10 7 8 8 10 8 7 9 8 6
Goulburn Valley & Nagambie Lakes Shiraz   7 7 10 6 9 6 10 9 7 5 8 6 9 8 10 8 8 9 10 8 9 8 8 6 8 6
Grampians Shiraz   7 7 8 6 7 5 9 9 8 5 8 8 9 8 9 8 6 9 10 7 10 9 9 6 7 6
Heathcote Shiraz   7 7 10 6 8 6 10 9 7 5 8 6 8 9 10 7 8 10 10 8 9 10 8 6 7 7
Macedon Ranges Chardonnay   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 7 7 9 8 8 9 8 7 7 6
Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 8 7 9 8 8 9 8 7 7 6
Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay   - - - - - - 9 8 5 7 7 7 6 7 8 7 9 8 6 8 9 8 9 8 8 6
Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir   - - - - - - 9 8 6 7 6 8 6 8 7 7 9 8 6 8 9 9 9 8 8 6
Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon   6 7 9 5 8 6 10 8 6 4 8 6 9 7 10 7 6 9 10 7 10 9 9 7 7 7
Pyrenees Shiraz   5 7 10 5 8 6 10 9 7 4 8 6 10 8 10 7 7 10 10 7 10 9 9 7 7 7
Sunbury Shiraz   6 7 8 6 8 5 10 9 7 7 8 5 8 8 8 7 8 9 10 7 8 8 9 8 7 6
Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon   7 5 9 5 8 4 10 9 8 8 8 7 7 8 10 7 8 10 10 8 9 9 9 7 7 4
Yarra Valley Chardonnay   8 8 7 7 7 4 9 8 7 8 7 6 7 9 9 7 8 9 10 8 9 9 9 8 7 4
Yarra Valley Pinot Noir   7 7 8 7 8 5 8 9 7 6 8 6 7 10 9 7 10 9 10 8 6 9 9 7 7 4
 
> Western Australia       Vintage   '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09
Great Souther Cabernet Sauvignon   - - - - - - - 8 8 6 8 9 9 8 7 6 6 10 8 5 8 7 6 9 10 9
Great Souther Shiraz   - - - - - - - 7 8 6 9 9 9 8 7 6 6 10 8 5 8 7 6 9 10 9
Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon   7 6 9 8 8 6 10 9 9 7 10 10 9 8 7 8 7 10 9 7 10 8 6 10 10 10
Margaret River Chardonnay   - - - 9 8 7 8 9 10 6 9 10 8 9 6 7 7 10 9 7 8 8 7 10 10 10
Margaret River Shiraz   8 6 10 8 9 6 9 9 8 6 8 9 8 8 7 8 7 10 9 7 10 8 6 10 10 10
Pemberton Pinot Noir   - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 6 8 6 8 9 6 8 8 6 9 10 10