Every Australian summer is like the one before. The grapes ripen, the harvest is a success, and all the vintages merge or taste as one. That is not a bad description for Australia though when compared to Europe you still need vintage charts to rank the good vintages from the so-so. The grapes ripen each vintage in warm climates, yet it is how they ripen that makes a few vintages climb above others to distinction. Variability in the hot weather creates problems and the best vintage is the long regular summer without extremes of heat, rain or coolness.
In hot spells vines struggle to access water and that effects grape quality instantly. Just little things chemically but enough for a few vintages each decade to simply taste better. One of these was 2021. Padthaway is north of Coonawarra and is more reliable for Shiraz which needs heat. As a vineyard district Padthaway rates highly yet not in the minds of consumer who place little additional value on the wines. Out of favour means a low price and combine that with a superlative vintage and you have a drinking bargain.
