Successful 2020 vintage

The Margaret River Wine industry today toasted the end to a successful 2020 vintage.

This years harvest was completed undisrupted; without significant rain, lockdowns or the impact of bushfires, despite a high demand on picking staff as vineyards frantically searched for more workers during the compressed vintage.

Margaret River Wine Association chief executive Amanda Whiteland said low disease pressure, timely flowering of native Marri trees to keep birds away and little to no rain meant growers were quietly confident the vintage would produce world class wines.

“We are humbly counting our blessings. The region enjoyed an early start to the season, with warmer than average spring temperatures evolving into the perfect summer growing conditions,” she said.

“Compared with the challenges of cooler weather and significant bird pressure in 2019, the 2020 vintage in Margaret River was a real treat for viticulturists. The only downside of note has been the lower than normal yields across all varieties, resulting in one of the smallest harvests in recent years.”

She said the lower yields had resulted in exceptional fruit that was physiologically ripe and showed a “divine concentration of aromas and flavours.”

While the 2020 vintage will be in scarce supply that exclusivity will create high demand.