Every vintage tells a different tale From the first budburst to your final sip.
It begins in the vineyard, long before harvest, and unfolds through the patient hands of our winemakers as they work to capture the truest expression of the fruit. Each vintage carries its own character, shaped by the season, the soil, and the skies, creating subtle shifts in flavour and style. That’s the beauty of wine. Our vintage reports offer a rare glimpse into this journey, revealing how the glass of Taylors wine in your hand came to life.
2023
The season began with the last whispers of El Niño, bringing an unusually warm start to winter in June. By July, temperatures had dropped back to normal, but the skies stayed stubbornly dry. It was our second driest July on record. As spring arrived, the cool weather lingered, slowing the vines’ budburst by nearly three weeks. Then, nature flipped the script: October and November delivered the most rain we’ve ever recorded for that time of year. December stayed cool, but from Christmas through to the end of March, the rain all but disappeared. This long, steady ripening period gave the grapes time to develop incredible layers of flavour, resulting in wines of elegance, depth, and complexity.
2022
In the Clare Valley
This year marks a milestone, the 21st birthday of the screw cap closure, an innovation pioneered right here. The season began with a dry, cool autumn, followed by welcome winter rains and a wetter-than-average spring. That early rainfall left the soil with good moisture, even though the total yearly rainfall was below average.
Spring’s cool, wet weather delayed budburst slightly, and a few frosty October nights caused minor damage. November brought wet conditions during flowering, leading to some small fruit set issues, but overall, the region escaped major setbacks. Summer and early autumn stayed cool and dry, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, preserving natural acidity and developing full varietal flavours.
The result is outstanding quality across both red and white varieties, and yields that have been stronger than in recent years. Rieslings shine exceptionally, while Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are showing some of their best quality and yield in years.
In Wrattonbully
The 2022 season began with good winter rains, filling the soil with much-needed moisture. Early spring brought moderate rainfall, then mild, dry conditions through late spring set the vines slightly behind their usual growth pace, with most flowering from late November to early December.
Summer was kind, no heatwaves, no cold snaps, just consistent mild, dry weather. These perfect conditions continued through February, March, and April, giving the grapes a long, even ripening period. Flavours and tannins developed beautifully across all varieties.
This is one of those rare years where no single variety steals the spotlight; reds and whites alike performed exceptionally well, making the 2022 vintage in Wrattonbully one to remember.
2021
In the Clare Valley
The 2021 season began with generous late-winter and early-spring rains, setting the vines up well for the months ahead. From November onwards, the weather turned dry, with rainfall well below average but the timing was perfect. Mid to late November brought ideal conditions for flowering and fruit set, and the rest of the season unfolded under some of the best weather in the last decade.
While Riesling yields were slightly down due to smaller bunches and berries, the fruit that was harvested was exceptional. Our winemakers describe the wines from this vintage as stunning, with vibrant varietal character and purity.
In Wrattonbully
Winter rains were steady, and early spring brought enough moisture for healthy vine growth. Late spring stayed mild and dry, delivering excellent conditions for flowering and fruit set across all varieties. The season continued without extremes, no damaging cold snaps or heatwaves and mild, dry weather carried right through summer and into autumn.
This slow, even ripening allowed flavours and tannins to develop beautifully. Winemakers agree: 2021 will be remembered as one of Wrattonbully’s best vintages in the past 20 years, with outstanding quality across both reds and whites.
2020
The season began with challenges from spring frosts at budburst, followed by hot, windy conditions during flowering, reducing yields but not quality. Late in the year, bushfires devastated parts of Australia, though the Clare Valley was spared. January brought extreme swings between heat, heavy rain, and gusty winds, before February returned to normal with a refreshing early-month rainfall ahead of harvest. Mild March weather allowed for smooth, steady ripening. COVID-19 added strict distancing and hygiene measures during vintage, but despite the hardships, fruit quality was excellent. While it was a very tough year for growers, the quality of the fruit was high, which is heartening. The resulting wines show vivid colour, concentrated flavours, and strong varietal character.
2019
The growing season leading up to vintage 2019 saw lower than average winter and spring rainfall. This, along with some hail and frost events, affected yields overall. There were some extreme weather conditions during the growing season, including the lowest temperature recorded in spring and the highest ever temperature in summer, but generally, the vines showed great resilience. Whites have retained good acidity while the reds were sun-blessed and are showing great colour and due to the smaller bunch numbers, varietal intensity. Riesling has been the star performer in terms of yield, with crops coming in only minimally down on expectations, demonstrating what an incredibly resilient variety it is under adverse conditions. Harvest commenced in February and the low yields resulted in quite a brief harvest period. Whilst yields are down, wine quality is strong with intense flavours and colours across the classic Clare Valley varieties.
2018
Our winemaking team can’t hide their excitement; this vintage is something special. The whites burst from the glass with intoxicating aromas, each one true to its varietal and brimming with purity. The reds, though, are the real showstoppers. Deep in colour, rich in flavour, and beautifully structured, they carry the promise of being remembered as one of the finest red vintages in years. Every sip feels like the culmination of a season where nature, patience, and craftsmanship came perfectly together.
2017
The 2017 season was one of generosity. Blessed with higher-than-average rainfall, the vineyards thrived, producing healthy yields of exceptional fruit. When the grapes arrived at the cellar, they were in outstanding condition, promising something truly special. The wines from this vintage shine with vibrant colour and lifted varietal aromas, their palates leaning towards elegance and finesse, a graceful contrast to the fuller, more robust wines of the warmer year before. For collectors, this delicacy bodes well for long-term cellaring. With harvest behind them and every wine carefully assessed, our winemakers are delighted, reporting exciting results across the entire range.
2016
The 2016 season was one of those rare years when everything seemed to fall into place. Mother Nature delivered rainfall at exactly the right moments, nurturing the vines and setting the stage for exceptional fruit quality. It’s no wonder this vintage is being hailed as one of the greats.
Among the whites, Chardonnay and Riesling stood out, each showing remarkable character and finesse. For the reds, Cabernet Sauvignon was the undeniable star, the perfect ripening conditions producing grapes with extraordinary flavour concentration. A vintage like this doesn’t come often, and it’s one our winemakers will remember for years to come.
2015
The 2015 season began with a promising winter, the first two months bringing slightly above-average rainfall and temperatures right in line with the long-term norm. Then August arrived and with it, an almost complete halt to the rain, making it the driest August ever recorded at the estate.
Despite the dry spell, the vineyards delivered beautifully. Chardonnay and Riesling emerged as the stars among the whites, each showing exceptional quality. For the reds, the overall results were strong, but Shiraz stole the spotlight with its standout character and depth.
2014
The 2014 growing season began with autumn and winter rainfall right on target just 4% above the long-term average for the Taylor family’s Clare Valley vineyards. From the start, the weather played a steady, predictable hand, allowing the winemakers to pick fruit based on ripeness and flavour rather than reacting to environmental pressures always their preferred way.
When the first grapes arrived at the winery, early signs were promising: whites showed bright natural acidity and pure flavour, while reds revealed deep colour and fine tannin structure. The season ended with a sense of quiet satisfaction, as the team prepared to share another collection of finely crafted Taylors wines with the world.
2013
The 2013 season was shaped by scarcity. Autumn and winter rainfall on the Taylor family’s Clare Valley estate was already below average, but the true challenge came during the growing season from September 2012 to April 2013, when the estate recorded just 138mm of rain, the lowest since 1973.
These dry, demanding conditions naturally reduced yields, but what the vines lacked in volume, they made up for in intensity. The result is a vintage of rich, full-bodied wines, bursting with concentration and depth. Following the celebrated years of 2009, 2010, and 2012, 2013 continues the Taylor's tradition with wines that are approachable in their youth yet generous and satisfying for years to come.
2012
The 2012 vintage was a milestone year for the Taylor family estate in the Clare Valley, our 40th harvest. It began on January 25th with the first pick of Pinot Noir destined for sparkling wine. Over the following week, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Chardonnay made their way from the vineyard to the winery, each parcel brimming with promise. By the end of February, every white variety had been harvested, the fruit fresh, clean, and full of varietal character.
As autumn deepened, the final grapes were picked just after Easter, marking the end of a vintage that left both vineyard and winery teams buzzing with excitement. The verdict was unanimous: 2012 had delivered exceptional fruit, a fitting way to celebrate four decades of Taylors winemaking.
2011
The 2011 vintage will be remembered as one of the most challenging and most rewarding in our history. Persistent rain brought high humidity, testing both the vines and our winemakers with the threat of disease and an unusually long ripening period. It was a season that demanded patience, skill, and careful selection in the vineyard.
Yet from these trials came wines of surprising quality. Among the whites, Riesling and Pinot Gris rose above expectations, displaying purity and brightness. For the reds, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon showed the greatest promise, revealing depth and character despite the season’s difficulties. In the end, 2011 proved that perseverance and a little faith in the fruit can yield wines worth celebrating.
2010
The season began with a gift above-average rainfall that soaked the Clare Valley vineyards to saturation levels not seen in three years. But nature soon shifted gears. In November, just as the vines reached peak flowering, an unprecedented heatwave struck, with 13 consecutive days above 30°C.
This untimely blast of heat reduced yields across nearly all varieties, yet it also concentrated flavours in the surviving fruit. From this challenging season emerged standouts that truly express the region: Riesling, with its crisp purity and vibrancy, and Shiraz, rich and full of character. The 2010 vintage may have tested the vines, but it also revealed their resilience and the beauty that can arise from adversity.
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