Heathcote Wine Region, in Central Victoria, has a rapidly growing reputation as one of Australia’s best regions to grow Shiraz. The region features a deep strip of rare, ancient, red Cambrian soil with excellent moisture retention characteristics, virtually eliminating the need for irrigation. It is this ancient soil that gives Heathcote Shiraz its distinctive character.

The combination of low rainfall, hot summers and the red Cambrian soil create a challenging environment in which the Shiraz vines thrive, albeit producing low yields and small berries with intense flavours.

Our Heathcote fruit is always picked on flavour, and in this aspect of the wine we are aiming for consistency. The new oak is subtler, smoother and more integrated, the fruit characters are more prominent.

It is a rich, elegant wine, beautifully balanced and with great cellaring potential. The colour is deep, intense purple/mulberry and the nose exhibits elegant, plum/berry aromas with a gentle oak presence and some mintiness. On the palate it has a silky texture, complexity, delicious plummy berry flavours and a good balance between the fruit, oak and tannin.

The 2000 vintage is significant in the history of this wine because it is the first to contain fruit from Heathcote vineyards in addition to our Athol’s Paddock vineyard.

The vineyards contributing to the 2000 vintage are, in order of size of contribution:

Athol ’s Paddock
Colbinabbin Estate
Original Mt Camel vineyard
Joe Marton vineyard
Merindoc vineyard

Another significant feature of this vintage is the first use of ‘steam-bent ’ American oak barriques rather than the previous ‘fire-bent ’barriques.

The ‘steam-bent’ barriques impart a gentler, smoother oak character to the wine.

The 2000 vintage won a Trophy and 8 Gold Medals in International and Australian wine shows during 2002.

Source: Hanging Rock Winery