Heathcote, Victoria
Climate: Warm. Mean January Temperature 21.2 C
Elevation: 240 m
Estimated Harvest Date: March 21 - 28
The Heathcote wine region is located
in Central Victoria about 100km north of Melbourne and 50km west of the Goulburn
Valley. Heathcote wines are renown around the world and in Australia as ultra-premium
wines, with a distinctive flavour, body, complexity and colour that make them
stand out above wines from other regions. In particular, the region is renown
for Shiraz.
The vignerons of the Heathcote
district extol the virtues of having their vineyards planted in Cambrian soils.
These soils are the result of a long weathering process, having been formed
from Cambrian rocks that are over 500 million years old.
The region is warm with a distinctly
continental climate and experiences an even temperature range during ripening.
The vineyard is elevated at about 300m and rainfall is limited. Rainfall is
between 500 - 550 mm annually. The majority of the rain falls in winter and
spring, with carefully managed use of drip irrigation in summer and autumn.
This combination of soil, climate and viticulture makes for vines that are
relatively low yielding and produce grapes which are acclaimed for their ability
to fully ripen, yet still retain excellent levels of natural acidity and fine
grained tannins. Winemakers will be able to produce wines that are full-bodied
with exceptional depth.
Vine Information.
The vineyard is planted to three
clones of Shiraz, grafted onto 1103 Poulson stock.
20 Acres
Variety: Shiraz
Rootstock: 1103 Poulson
Clones:
• Best Old Block
• Coonawarra 1654
• PT23
