A moderately wet winter combined with average spring conditions meant that vines grew well in the mild weather. Ideal flowering conditions in late spring/early summer lead to the potential for near-average yields. Late December became warm and dry and assured for healthy canopies with low disease pressure. The summer months of January and February were typically hot and dry but extreme heat periods were shorter than in recent memory, characterised instead by well above-average overnight temperatures. The old-vine vineyards coped well with the warm nights, their deep roots able to withstand the warming and drying effect on the topsoil, maturing the balanced crops as autumn approached. March and April provided the light and warmth to the Eden Valley which lead to full and balanced maturity being achieved across all grape varieties. With warm sunny days and cool nights, the dry autumn guaranteed that pristinely-healthy grapes arrived in the fermenters. All in all, the 2018 vintage will be considered a standout of this decade. Shiraz is certainly one of the highlights of the season, fittingly so in the year we celebrated our 150th anniversary of family winemaking.

Split and Roast Skull Island King Prawns with Spicy Butter