2022 Heathcote Shiraz

The 2021-2022 growing season in Colbinabbin was heavily affected by La Nina weather conditions. This was evident by our Shiraz not being harvested until April, two or three weeks later than what is usual.

These grapes are grown by Gerrard Kennedy, a young vigneron whom we admire and respect and anticipate will make a significant contribution to the region.

Heathcote has long been famous for producing powerful Shiraz wines to rival the richer South Australian regions. However, our belief is that Heathcote is entirely it’s own. The water-holding capacity of the soil makes it a great Shiraz region, and the continental climate offers the ability to craft wines of elegance and distinction.

This is our first Heathcote Shiraz and we are exceptionally pleased by its richness and elegance.

Our Heathcote Shiraz was almost entirely destemmed and crushed before being fermented in open-top stainless steel tanks. Primary fermentation lasted for almost three weeks and it was pressed off soon after to maintain the volatile fruit aromas.

Our Heathcote Shiraz was then allowed to rest in oak for 9 months prior to bottling. The oak used was a combination of second-fill French barriques, seasoned hogsheads, and seasoned puncheons. This is a lot of effort but it allows us to have more tools to play with when blending prior to bottling.