2016 HEATHCOTE ESTATE RELEASE

The 2016 vintage was exceptional in Heathcote, with all the makings of our finest yet. 

One of our coldest winters in recent memory was followed by a warm and dry spring, with perfect, even set and growth. The warm, dry and consistent conditions prevailed throughout summer, resulting in highly concentrated small berries.

The vintage shows truly classic ‘Heathcote’ character - exceptional concentration and detail, tightly packed savoury tannins, and quintessential gunflint, graphite-like character so unique to the our vineyard, coupled with a spectrum of vibrant fruit flavours.  The incredible structure and detail of these wines ensures their longevity.

We have bottled four wines from this remarkable vintage, including two Single Block Releases – Block C & Block F. It has been a long, four year wait for this release of block wines, further reinforcing our high standards with regard to bottling special release wines.

For the first time, we have also released a ‘Shiraz Pressings’.  The pressings are the last precious few litres that trickle out of the press as it nears completion.  A wine for the long term, the Shiraz Pressings is a firmly structured wine with savoury tannins, and yet incredible perfume and sense of elegance.

Tom Carson, Winemaker

VINTAGE 2016

Central Victoria had one of its coldest winters in some time, with low rainfall.  Spring was warm and dry. The vines burst into life in September, with fantastic early season growth and development that was typical of recent seasons. The above average maximum temperatures in October encouraged the vines’ early development, these warmer conditions continued throughout the latter part of spring and into summer. December was particularly warm and dry, which had a significant influence on the eventual small berries and light bunches that occurred at harvest.  January brought isolated storms, helping to maintain vine health through both atmospheric moisture/rain and cooler overcast ripening temperatures at times.

It was our earliest harvest on record, with the first parcel of Shiraz picked on 4 February and the last on 12 February.  The fruit from 2016 was characterised by an exceptionally light crop, tiny berries, excellent tannin structure and concentration.

THE VINEYARD

The Heathcote Estate vineyard was planted in 1999 and is situated on Drummond's Lane, bordering the well-known Jasper Hill Emily’s Paddock Vineyard.

The vineyard is planted on the slightly undulating, north-facing country on the ancient Cambrian soils which define the heart of the region.  This 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, ‘greenstones’, 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. The vast majority of the vineyard is planted to Shiraz (72 acres), with just one block of grenache.  There are five clones of shiraz planted - BVRC12, BVRC30, ESA3021, PT23, SA1654, SA1127.                               

2016 SINGLE VINEYARD SHIRAZ PRESSINGS 

Harvested: 6 – 13 February

Alcohol: 13.5%

Blocks: B (33%), C (33%) & F (34%)

Barrel: 11 months. 500L French oak puncheons. 20% new

The pressings selection is a collection of the very last few litres of wine from the fermented grape skins when the press is nearing completion.   These precious few litres are loaded with fine graphite-like, dry and firm tannins.  The ‘pressings’ were transferred into 500L puncheons for malolactic fermentation. Racked twice during maturation, bottled February 2017.  

The resultant wine is highly fragrant and detailed with a super long and concentrated palate.  It will reward extended cellaring.