The Auswine Forum

I'm starting to put together some of the tastings for Blacktongues and one of those is a current release Heathcote Shiraz tasting across all price points.

We don't get a whole lot of them here in Adelaide but I have put together so far

05 Jasper Hill
04 Mt.Ida
04 Occam's Razor
04 Taltarni (Heathcote)
04 Tattiara (the one about $40)
04 Carlei Estate (Greens Vineyard?)
04 Heathcote Estate (white label)
04 Both Hands Max's
04 Wild Duck Springflat

Looking for some suggestions as to another three or four. I'll probably have to get the winery to mail a bottle over once the weather cools because alot of the suggestions won't be available in Adelaide.

OK, you Melbournites should be in the box seat here,give me your best fellas (and girls), TIA

Steve, is vintage important?

Brown Brothers Patricia 2002 is mostly/all heathcote I think.
Bress Gold label
Hanging Rock (2003 out now)
Heathcote Winery Curagee
Dominique Portet 2004
Mt Ida 2004
Red Edge
Shadowfax (several labels)
Tyrrells Rufus Stone
Vinea Marson 2005
Wild Duck Ck Springflat 2004

That (in)famous merchant in Melb whose name starts with N has a selection of Heathcote reds, but a lot of them ar full-case sales only.

Thanks Brian, prefer 04 & 05 so they're recent. I've edited my topic to add vintages and a couple more wines I forgot I'd bought.

I might even do the 04 rather than 05 Jasper if the rest of the lineup ends up 04.

If you need any WDC let me know

I haven't tried a Hanging Rock in years, and have heard nothing but good things about them - I'd seriously like to see how it goes against the Jasper Hill & Mt. Ida head-to-head, even if it is an 03.

Cheers,
Ian

You could also try

04 Greenstone (made by sandro mosele)
04 Munari
04 Shelmerdine Merindoc Vineyard
0? 'Baptista' made by David traeger from the 100 yr old vineyard at Graytown
04 Tooleen

Cheers

In addition to above I would also recommend Whistling Eagle and Barnadown Run.

pretty good list, would be an awesome tasting!

probably add:

04 Lapleide
04 Heatcote II "HD reserve shiraz"
04 Buckshot
04 WDC Reserve Shiraz

chris

I am really interested on feedback from this event so any notes please whack ém up here.
Iv ebeen studying the viticulture of the area for about 5 years and Ive never been able to get data fro a comprehensive list by a decent set of palates.

You've got a huge list going!

I'd put on the 2004 Sanguine Estate Shiraz too

kirragc wrote: a decent set of palates.

No chance this time



Sorry Steve

Wonga Estate.
GW

White Box
Syrahmi (available at EEC)

There's plenty out there...

Blackjack
Redesdale Estate

Popov

Flynns
huntleigh

Popov wrote:Blackjack
Redesdale Estate

Popov

Although I'm a fan of both the Blackjack Shiraz and Block 6, they wouldn't qualify as a Heathcote winery.

I think the Bindi shiraz (Pyrette?) is made from Heathcote fruit

Yeah, that Baptista, Graytown Shiraz is a beauty.

I had the Dal Broi High Altitude Private Collection Heathcote Shiraz 2005 last night. Pretty darn good - and the deep dark colour, almost iridescent in its appearance. Shouldn't be too expensive either, as it costs between $22 and $25 in NZ.

SueNZ wrote:I had the Dal Broi High Altitude Private Collection Heathcote Shiraz 2005 last night. Pretty darn good - and the deep dark colour, almost iridescent in its appearance. Shouldn't be too expensive either, as it costs between $22 and $25 in NZ.

I agree it is not a bad drop. But several things worry me.
First, the dal Broi company started only a couple of years ago, but the dal Broi label has 1843 on it... pretty impressive... only in Australia you are unlikely to go back that long...so it happens to be some history of the family back in NE Italy...
Then the High Altitude label... I read "grapes grown at 2000 feet above sea level" on the back label ... Heathcote is not more than 2-300 metres from sea level (check Google Earth for Heathcote, Victoria), perhaps it was on top of a very tall flagpole at the high end of High Street tended by specially trained monkeys?....
Then the Heathcote name...turns out the company is in Griffith, NSW, somewhere near the mayor's office; The Heathcote Wing, maybe...
What's going on here? Why can't we be straight forward about a good drop of red? By the way, it has excellent presentation..and only Aus$10 at Get Wines Direct in Melbourne, great to impress a boss or overseas friend who doesn't know anything about the history of Australia, the altitude of Heathcote or which state it happens to be in! Enjoy!

Is that the first time you've seen lies on back labels?

It's the content of the bottle that matters. If you like the wine, WTF?

daz

Daryl Douglas wrote:Is that the first time you've seen lies on back labels?

It's the content of the bottle that matters. If you like the wine, WTF?

daz

Exactly. I tasted the wine blind and didn't take what was written on the back label into account. So many labels have waffle anyway.

Redthroat wrote:Then the Heathcote name...turns out the company is in Griffith, NSW, somewhere near the mayor's office; The Heathcote Wing, maybe...

So how many companies base themselves somewhere and pull their grapes from somewhere else. I haven't got enough fingers and toes to count them all. You can't put Griffith as the region, if the grapes come from Heathcote. Or do you know something we don't, like suddenly fabulous Shiraz is coming out of Griffith and they don't want anyone else to know!

Now didn't I read the other day that Dal Broi was refuting claims they are going into receivership, and have just restructured? Click for Link

SueNZ wrote:I had the Dal Broi High Altitude Private Collection Heathcote Shiraz 2005 last night. Pretty darn good - and the deep dark colour, almost iridescent in its appearance. Shouldn't be too expensive either, as it costs between $22 and $25 in NZ.

It's just popped up on a remainders/cleanskin merchant for $9.95... Tough times in the market.

I have no arguments about enjoying a good red, by any name.
But since this thread is all about Heathcote suggestions, what are the qualities of a Heathcote shiraz that makes it a Heathcote?
Dark colour? Peppery? Fruity? Fine tannins? Touch of iodine?

There is a special offer at 1st Choice for this wine that I have never heard of before. This appears to be a project wine put together by Nick Stock, Sandro Mosele and John and Pat Kennedy (Kennedy Vintners) and being promoted by Vintage Cellars.
It is $14.40 at 1st choice with a rather basic looking label.
Any comments?

Anonymous wrote:You could also try

04 Greenstone (made by sandro mosele)
04 Munari
04 Shelmerdine Merindoc Vineyard
0? 'Baptista' made by David traeger from the 100 yr old vineyard at Graytown
04 Tooleen

Cheers

Redthroat wrote:I have no arguments about enjoying a good red, by any name.
But since this thread is all about Heathcote suggestions, what are the qualities of a Heathcote shiraz that makes it a Heathcote?
Dark colour? Peppery? Fruity? Fine tannins? Touch of iodine?

I find the colour in Heathcote shiraz to be startling - deep purple black - impenetrable - saturated right to the rim - and so shiny in lustre, yes the lustre in particular can be quite something. That Dal Broi I mentioned was almost iridescent.

I find the colour in Heathcote shiraz to be startling - deep purple black - impenetrable - saturated right to the rim - and so shiny in lustre, yes the lustre in particular can be quite something. That Dal Broi I mentioned was almost iridescent.[/quote]
I don't think there is any doubt about the colour but what about taste? Big and bold with plenty of berry and a distinct peppery feel when you inhale after swallowing is my contribution. Some say mint and eucalyptus, touch of iodine? Earthy? How does it compare with Coonawarra?

Redthroat wrote: I don't think there is any doubt about the colour but what about taste? Big and bold with plenty of berry and a distinct peppery feel when you inhale after swallowing is my contribution. Some say mint and eucalyptus, touch of iodine? Earthy? How does it compare with Coonawarra?

Heathcote Shiraz won't compare with Coonawarra but it may compare with Barossa & McLaren Vale.

I've just scheduled the Blacktongues 2004 Heathcote Shiraz tasting for 28th March so we'll find out then if there's a common set of Heathcote characteristics in these wines.

Boccaccio has a house wine cleanskin Heathcote "The Brute" 2002 selling for $10 which is very drinkable and to me, has quite a few "Heathcote" features. Has anyone else tried it?
707, how did the March 28th tastings go?

Redthroat wrote:707, how did the March 28th tastings go?

Very interesting tasting to get ten Heathcotes in one line up. Down our end of the table we commented how as a group they had great colour, good noses that suggested big rich palates but they were all just medium weight and generally had quite a deal of tannin. Flavours are not as ripe and juicy as we normally see in Barossa and McLaren Vale, more in the savoury, minerally spectrum. The best were very good but the prices are generally steepish.

My best was the 2004 Jasper Hill Georgias, classic wine. Next I had three wines very close, 2004 Wild Duck Creek Springflat, 2005 Both Hands Max's Garden and whilst it probably had too much oak the 2004 Taltarni.

2004 Mt.Ida & 2004 Heathcote Estate were quite drinkable, but wasn't rapt in the 2005 Occam's Razor, 2005 Jasper Hill Georgias (same flavour profile as the 2004 version but much lighter, I've tried better bottles of this vintage I'm sure) or 2004 Carlei Greens Vineyard.

Unfortunately "Murphy" intervened and the 2004 Tatiarra Cambrian was corked - the only one I can't get replaced in Adelaide!