Description
Heathcote Estate, owned by Yabby Lake, is their sister property in Central Victoria. Heathcote Estate was planted in 1999 on the ancient Cambrian soils that define the heart of the region. The 500-million-year-old soils are integral to the distinctive characters in these special wines. The Kirby family established Heathcote Estate with the sole objective to make one wine – a single vineyard shiraz.
The Heathcote Estate vineyard is situated on Drummond’s Lane, bordering the well known Jasper Hill Emily’s Paddock Vineyard. The site is managed and cared for by our dedicated vineyard team, led by winemaker Tom Carson, who have meticulously nurtured each vine in each row – hand pruning the vines through winter and handpicking each bunch of fruit each harvest.
The vineyard is planted on the slightly undulating, north-facing country which is the heartland of the region. The land is classic Heathcote terrain – rich red-brown top soil of variable depth, but on average 15 centimetres lying above a sub-soil of clay, small rocks, quartz and rubble. This is scarcely fertile country, but it is ideal for vines as it has excellent water-holding capacity, without promoting too much vigour.
Heathcote Estate is a 100% organically certified and managed vineyard.
About this wine from the winemakers: “A long bone-chilling winter in Heathcote led into a mild and suitably wet spring, continuing the string of La Nina’s. Soil moisture was key to getting the season off to this great start. Mild conditions continued throughout the summer and the harvest was a month later than our earliest every vintage, it commenced on the 2nd of March. The quality of the fruit was as good as we could wish for. 2023 was the second year certified 100% organic from the estate after 3 years of transition from 2018.
“Our five individual blocks and their various sections were handled separately in the winery, and vintage 2023 created 20 unique batches of wine. The grapes were fermented in traditional open fermenters after gentle destemming, with 20% whole bunches. The wines were then pressed and transferred into 500L French Oak puncheons for malolactic fermentation. Racked twice during maturation, bottled February 2024.
“The 2023 vintage was exceptional, producing a classic Heathcote Estate Shiraz. Characterised by its remarkable balance, this intense and structured wine has layers of flavour, dark fruits, spice and a long, seamless, persistent finish. Cellar for optimum reward.”
4 Trophies – Wine Of Show, Best Shiraz, Best Single Vineyard Wine Show, Best Young Shiraz – 2025 Heathcote Wine Show.
Trophy – Best Shiraz 2025 National Wine Show
97 points, Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot. “Gosh, this is such a good wine. It was a super vintage in Heathcote, and you can see it immediately on the nose with further highlights on the palate. This is not a massively opulent style of wine, but it has tremendous concentration of fruit delivered with such poise and elegance, spicy, savoury dark fruits, a little chocolate, plenty of those plummy riches. And finished with incredible polish with the use of 500-liter French oak puncheons. It seems the 20% whole bunch inclusions have certainly brought that palate into focus. An exceptional wine.”
96 points, Jeni Port, James Haliday Wine Companion. “Delves deeply into the heart of Heathcote shiraz and it’s there that lovers of the grape will find total enjoyment. Gotta love the combination of black and red fruits, the energy they emit, and the elegant addition of spices, briar, earth, smart vanillin oak and a mineral-like vigour that flows through the wine. It’s swept along in grainy, ripe tannins, lingering long on the finish.”
RRP $60 Our Special Price $44.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
