Tellurian Pastiche Heathcote Shiraz 2018

Description

Tellurian Wines certainly is a rising star of Victoria’s Heathcote wine region renowned for Shiraz.  Established in 2002 by Ian Hopkins and planting vineyards on western slopes of Mt Camel range overlooking township of Tolleen.  Since first vintage produced in 2008 they have certainly hit the ground running!

The ancient deep rich Cambrian soils of Heathcote and meticulous attention in the vineyard and winery under Tobias Ansted since 2006 are paying dividends – winning the coveted 5 star winery rating by James Halliday’s Wine Companion.  Tobias’ philosophy is one that aims to allow the fruit to have full expression with winemaking and oak inputs playing a supporting role.

Pastiche Shiraz is a beautiful blend of fruit carefully selected from different shiraz blocks at our Tranter Rd vineyard to express the beauty and personality of Heathcote in a lifted, aromatic style with intensity of fruit balanced by the influence of savoury oak and elegant tannins.

Made from fruit grown in Block 3 and Block 2 of our Tellurian vineyard growing in Cambrian soils formed over 500 million years. Deep, rich, decomposed greenstone rock and limestone with soil depths up to 2m allow roots to reach deep, while relatively low fertility controls vigour and yield.

After the cooler conditions of the 2017 season, 2018 saw the return of the warm dry conditions that have been more typical in recent years. Vintage started in early February and went through to mid-March. Despite being warm, overall the lead up to harvest avoided excessive heat leading to wines with good ripeness and fruit expression.

Grapes mostly fermented in 4-5 tonne open top fermenters between 10-25 days on skins, with hand plunging or pump overs twice per day. 30% whole bunch fermentation. 10 months maturation; 5% American oak and 95% in mostly seasoned French oak (15% new) in a combination of 5000L vats, puncheons, or barriques prior to filtration and bottling

Bright red purple colour. Intense fruit in a medium bodied style with only subtle influence from oak.

Aromas of red berry fruit, raspberry combine with savoury, meaty aromas, charcuterie characters. Savoury palate displays briary, black and blue fruits, black cherry, black berry, along with meaty savoury palate, chary oak and fine grain tannins.

92 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front  “This is right in the zone. Tonight we drink. Plums, violets and sweet spice notes, all wrapped up in a satiny, cedary veneer. One gulp and I was convinced. Sweet-ripe fruit, served both fresh and in volume, easy-going and at complex at once.”

RRP $33  ** Our price $27.99 last bottles of vintage