HANGING ROCK Heathcote Shiraz 2001

Bottle per case: 6

Hanging Rock Winery is one of the first winemaking ventures in Victoria’s Heathcote area.  It currently produces 35,000 cases of wine per year and has been making premium Heathcote Shiraz since 1987.  Situated in the cool region of the Macedon Ranges, Hanging Rock has always been renowned for its sparkling wines.

When winemaker John Ellis wanted to produce premium Shiraz he took to the warmer district of Heathcote.  About an hour’s drive north of Hanging Rock, Heathcote’s ancient rich, red soils were ideal for the job at hand.  John has been pivotal to the development of winemaking in the Heathcote district.  His unique Hanging Rock Winery, which sits in the shadow of the spectacular Hanging Rock landmark, is the viticultural hub of the Macedon Ranges region.

This Victorian winery is not just enjoying a day in the sun. There are a few key reasons for its continuing success.  “Our vineyards at Heathcote yield superb fruit for us to work with, and that’s more than half the battle” explains John Ellis.

This is dovetailed with John’s expertise.  He is one of the industry’s most highly regarded vignerons, producing some of the country’s finest table wines.  His portfolio includes a diverse range of whites, reds and the award-winning sparkling wine, ‘Macedon’.  He was Rosemount Estate’s first winemaker.  In 1978, John set up the successful Tisdall Wines before he and his wife Ann (daughter of the late Murray Tyrrell) set their sights on Hanging Rock.

John is a firm believer of organic viticulture and he sees green organics as a good solution for improving soil structure and moisture retention in the elevated dry-climate vineyards of Victoria.  Rice hulls and straw are some of the successful mulches he uses.  He sources good-quality fruit from all over Victoria and combines it with the best of Hanging Rock’s crop to outperform difficult vintages and promote consistency.  His wines offer reliability.

His first (1987) vintage of Hanging Rock Heathcote Shiraz picked up several gold medals and he has set a new benchmark for the area with Heathcote now regarded as one of Australia’s best Shiraz regions.  Hanging Rock’s distinctively styled Shiraz is still a prolific performer at local and international wine shows.  While it already sells well in Australia and export markets, including New Zealand, each successive award adds to its reputation and value.  The 2000 vintage release claimed seven gold medals and a trophy.

The Heathcote vineyard is over 30 years old and the vines are managed to crop at 2 to 2.5 tonnes per acre (5 to 6.25 t/ha).  This produces small, intensely flavoured fruit.  Also, fruit from the 15-acre Athol Guy’s (of the Seekers fame) Paddock contributes to the Heathcote Shiraz.  Its quality has been compared to such heavyweights as the 1991 Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace.  In terms of price, Heathcote Shiraz is better value.  This is a great buy for lovers of wine or anyone seeking a smart investment.

John carefully times the harvest to achieve the unique characteristics of a Heathcote Shiraz – leather and plum and an earthy richness.  He uses automatic fermenters to allow a more accurate and finely-tuned fermentation process.  Maturation is for 18 months in new steam-bent (rather than fire-bent) American oak barriques to avoid excessive vanilla characters.  Oak is important here.  It gives the Shiraz excellent tannin structure which will extend its cellar life.  This is a wine for the long haul and very collectable indeed.