Heathcote over rated & over hyped?

707 · Post by **707** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 7:32 pm

I was perusing one of those cheap wine sites, you know, the ones who are always selling "was $70" wines for $120 a case. They were pumping up some cleanskin Heathcote Shiraz and in support of the wine were raving about Heathcote as a great Shiraz area, "maybe it's about to knock Barossa of it's perch" etc.

Well this is yet another person on the Heathcote rave bandwagon.

I'm a bit biased of course living in the centre of the wine universe in Adelaide and maybe, just maybe I've missed a whole heap of stunning Heathcote Shiraz that lends creedance to the hype, but can you good forumites tell me what fabbo wines have been produced in Heathcote to maintain the hype?

I've been a big fan of Jasper Hill for over a decade, is that the pinnacle of Heathcote? What and how close are the other Heathcote runners?

Come on guys, finger to keyboard and put me right.......if you can!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:01 pm

Distinctly different fr SA, certainly not overhyped. For power try WDC Springflat & Red Edge. For value, Sanguine, Eppalock, McIvor are very good too. The secret lies in the Cambrian Terrarossa.

Article written by Max Allen : http://www.wineint.com/story.asp?storyCode=1545

ChowChow · Post by **ChowChow** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:02 pm

Distinctly different fr SA, certainly not overhyped. For power try WDC Springflat & Red Edge. For value, Sanguine, Eppalock, McIvor are very good too. The secret lies in the Cambrian Terrarossa.

Article written by Max Allen : http://www.wineint.com/story.asp?storyCode=1545

TORB · Post by **TORB** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:30 pm

Steve,

At the risk of incurring the wrath of people, its a bit like Oz Pinot. There are some good ones but they tend to be few and far bnetween and the same few names keep surfacing.

radioactiveman · Post by **radioactiveman** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:56 pm

Chow Chow has some good recommendations there.

At a recent Divine Heathcote tasting, many found that the wineries in the south of the Heathcote region fare better and produce better fruit than those in the north. The town of Heathcote itself lies in the south of the region, the northern aspect lies near the town of Rochester.

Of the wines tasted, I enjoyed:

Hanging Rock Heathcote shiraz '02
Heathcote Winery Mailcoach shiraz'02
Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock '03
Jasper Hill Emily's Paddock '03
McIvor Estate shiraz '02
Redesdale Estate shiraz '01

Wild Duck Creek Springflat shiraz is a regular for me also.

By far the best of the latest vintages overall was '02, showing well across the board. Despite this, the Jasper Hill's showed very well for the difficult '03 vintage and were clearly a cut above the rest. In the "bang for buck" stakes, you cannot go past the McIvor Estate. From my scribbled notes: Very deep red/purple/black. Deep dark berries, some slightly charry oak, huge extraction. Slippery mouthfeel, very generous with great fruit depth and good length, spicy/peppery, some minerality, so much fruit, this is lush!

While Heathcote shiraz is very good in some cases (and should get better), I don't think it's better than a Barossa shiraz, just different. It's worthwhile having a few in the cellar, but seek out some 02's while they are still around. Most of the wines mentioned come from the south of the region, while Hanging Rock is central, but tending south if you use Hamilton rd as the halfway mark.

Cheers

Jamie

JamieBahrain · Post by **JamieBahrain** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:22 pm

I became a big fan of Heathcote shiraz about ten years ago- the superb wine from Jasper Hill, the rustic charm of Zuber Estate and Hanging Rock's Heathcote shiraz.

The potential of the region was exciting-then came Red Edge with $20 blockbusters and Wild Duck Creek with some solid but overhyped (IMHO) efforts.

Since then investment money has poured in and I can't keep up with the hype.

I now buy Jasper Hill only. And at a premium. One of the few from Heathcote that probably warrant it!

n4sir · Post by **n4sir** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 12:39 pm

I was a big fan of the Hanging Rock Heathcote Shiraz - the 1989 was spectacular, and the 1990 despite ullage problems was another star.

I haven't tried any of the later vintages after the original Mt Camel vineyard developed salinity problems, and they switched to the current patches of dirt. Most reports I've heard suggest they're as good as ever.

Cheers
Ian

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 1:54 pm

Talking about "bang for buck" I feel that the '02 Rufus Stone Heathcote is hard to beat.
MM.

Mike Hawkins · Post by **Mike Hawkins** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:24 am

Ian,

I never tried the 89 Hanging Rock, but the 90 was the wine that got me hooked on the region. The 00, 01 and 02 are all seriously good wines. The CD prices are often 20 - 30% more than at retail, so shop around.

Mike