According to Hickin: “vintage 2012 has produced an exciting line-up of wines across most South Australian regions with both reds and whites having exceptional quality and intense varietal character.
“Early indications are that 2012 will go down as one of the great Australian vintages for the last 20 years – comparable with 1990 and 1991.
“One of the reasons that the 2012 vintage stands out is that there are so many highlights. We have seen stunning quality from premium regions like Barossa, Coonawarra and Adelaide Hills, but also outstanding parcels from commercial regions such as South Australia’s Riverland.”
Speaking about the key varietals for Jacob’s Creek sparkling, Hickin said pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay have had a great year.
He also called vintage from Barossa "perfect". He added: “Potentially this was the “perfect” vintage from the Barossa. Plenty of warm weather with no sharp heat waves meant even ripening and the result was outstanding Shiraz that will age beautifully: great tannins, intensely full of flavour, but with no over-ripe fruit characters. Padthaway Shiraz was also excellent, expressing the spice and vibrancy expected of its cooler conditions. Shiraz from the South Australian Riverland also had exceptional flavour and unbelievably strong colour, so we picked at optimal flavour ripeness despite being slightly below the normal target baume.
“The stand out red variety of vintage 2012, in my opinion, was Cabernet Sauvignon. In particular, dry warmer-than-normal conditions in Coonawarra yielded exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, perhaps the best since the acclaimed 1998 vintage: small grape crops with very concentrated varietal cassis and berry fruit with wonderful tannin texture. Warmer regions including Barossa and South Australian Riverland also produced excellent Cabernet.”
