Wine Article

This is our first release from the soils and climate of Harcourt North in the Bendigo G.I. With its pure, sandy, granite soils and its mild climate, this sub-region stands apart from the rest of Bendigo. It’s a vineyard that can grow wines of tremendous perfume and finesse, even if the 2021 is a deeper and more powerful release, reflecting the season. The wine underwent almost two years of maturation: one year in neutral wood (mostly 1000, 500 and 600 litre) and one year in concrete tank. Bottling was in late February 2023. The result is a wonderfully perfumed, yet layered Syrah with blackcurrant fruit and anise, bay leaf and thyme notes and a super-long, lingering finish. The best Syrah we have made.

Extended ageing release April 2024
This wine is now released with an extra year’s aging. Our Heathcote Syrah comes from an east-facing plot of 20+-year-old vines rooted in the red Cambrian soils of the Mount Camel Range in Heathcote’s north. Although we believe that this sub-region can produce Heathcote’s most refined wines, it is still an area that lends itself to growing powerful Syrah. Hence, we give it an additional year in cask. The 2021 spent its first year in a range of Stockinger cask and concrete tank before being blended to one 2,000-litre Stockinger cask for the remainder of its maturation. It was bottled at the end of November 2023 after 33 months’ aging.
It is a gorgeous, dark-fruited expression of this famous region. At 13% alcohol, it is in no way heavy and, in fact, is quite the “refreshing” contrast to many wines released from the area.