|
Central Victoria's Heathcote region is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of Australia's finest red wine producing locations.
Shiraz is the region's undisputed hero with Heathcote ranking alongside the Barossa Valley as Australia's premier region for this variety.
The area's ancient bright red Cambrian soils and moderate climate sees a style of red wines being crafted that, while classically Australian in fruit intensity, can tend towards the more savoury, spicy and supple European style.
While international acclaim accumulates for Heathcote's shiraz, the region is also perfectly well suited to cabernet sauvignon and merlot - varieties causing growing excitement in the region.
The Shelmerdine family have two major vineyards in the Heathcote region, Merindoc Vineyard and Willoughby Bridge Vineyard.
Merindoc Vineyard consists of four separate, small plots on the original family farm at Tooborac in Central Victoria. It was 1956 when Ross and Marigold Shelmerdine began farming livestock here. The family first planting vines in the 1990s at hand-picked sites ideal for specific varieties.
Surrounded by dramatic hills, sweeping vistas and spectacular granite outcrops, Merindoc Vineyard sits on McIvor Creek, site of mid-19th century gold diggings, and amongst the earliest vineyards in Victoria.
The Springs Shiraz vineyard, at 250m elevation, rests in a stoney ampitheatre capturing the northern sun and producing grapes of intense raspberry fruit and refined white pepper characters.
While Heathcote's reputation has long been built on Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, white varieties are also now making their mark - notably Viognier and Riesling.
|
