Tasting Notes - Heathcote Estate (Vic)
A superb shiraz from rich, Cambrian soils
Tom Carson, winemaker
Heathcote Estate, part of the Yabby Lake stable, was planted in 1999 with one single objective – to grow and craft a single vineyard shiraz.
And now that rare and special parcel of land on the ancient Cambrian soils in the heartland of Heathcote does just that.
Vintage report: Average autumn rain in 2007 gave way to a drier than normal winter and spring. However the warm spring combined with timely rain at pre-flowering saw excellent vine health and fruit set.
The rain events of the proceeding months would become the theme of the vintage and set up an outstanding harvest. The warm spring weather created ample shoot growth and healthy canopies. Further welcome rains at pre-bunch closure and veraison set the vines for the crucial ripening period.
A cooler than average February kept vine stress to a minimum and ultimately allowed the fruit to be picked in excellent condition. This was to be the best February for some years as heat waves and hot strong winds did not eventuate until early March.
When these extreme weather events arrived our fruit was safely fermenting in the winery boasting excellent colour, flavour and natural acidity. Harvest at Heathcote Estate commenced on 19th February with the last fruit harvested on 25th February.
Heathcote Estate Shiraz 2008
Winemakers notes: Heathcote Estate is a single vineyard wine. The five individual blocks and their various sections were handled separately in the winery and vintage 2008 created 16 unique batches of wine.
The grapes were fermented in a combination of open and closed fermenters with up to three weeks total time on skins. The wines were then pressed and transferred immediately into barrels for malolactic fermentation.
It remained in barrel for a total of 17 months (a combination of 25% new, second and third use barrels, 100% French oak) and during maturation was racked four times.
During the winemaking and maturation process, the most exceptional parcels of shiraz were indentified and only the most outstanding made it into the final blend. The resulting wine was bottled in August 2009.
Tasting notes: A beautifully balanced wine packed with flavour and complexity, embodying the affinity between the Heathcote region and the shiraz grape. Will age for at least 10 years under ideal cellaring conditions.
Alc/vol: 14.5%
RRP A$44
Regions
- Goldfields (VIC)
- Heathcote (VIC)
- Melbourne Surrounds (VIC)
- Melbourne and Melbourne West (VIC)
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