"The wine is pristine and brightly expressed on the nose showing blueberry compote, dark plum, floral and mint chocolate characters. The palate is succulent and smooth, displaying lovely youthful fruit flavours together with elegant spicy complexity, finishing long and silky. At its best: now to 2022" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2018

"Heathcote is producing some good, affordable shiraz options nowadays. This is chocka-block with berried fruit flavour. If you like berries with your berries you will really enjoy this. Clove and spice notes too but just so much exuberant fruit. All served as fresh as they come too. It’s not complex but it’s not meant to be. It delivers" Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front

Bright, lifted aromatics of plum, mulberry and blueberry fruit with cedar wood, clove and black pepper spices. The palate is rich and layered with succulet fruits, brown spices, violet and tar. A wine of wonderful intensity yet medium to full in weight. Fine tannins and a finishing clip of acidity act in support pf the fruitful flavours and help drive a very long finish. 

A cool start to the growing season with plenty of rain events throughout Spring ensuring vine health and vitality was optimised. Summer was mild enough without the terrific extended heat days of previous vintages. The season began a touch late and thus finished later than usual but with a milder season came optimal ripeness over a longer period. This delivered exceptionally complex, intensely flavoured berries with fine natural acidity. The tannins and flavours ripened consistently and with the finer acids and moderate alcohols, this vintage of Heathcote Shiraz will go doen as one of the finest.

Sourced from a single block from 30-year-old vines of an established vineyard on the northern slopes of the Mount Camel range in central north Heathcote. The wine regions of the great state of Victoria are some of Australia's most picturesque and historical. Today we can expect to see exciting wines and evocative wine styles as common fare. Hare & Tortoise represents the steady pursuit of fine, individual, regional wines of great drinkability & interest through patience, knowledge and a hands-off approach to winemaking.

Hand-picked and hand sorted Shiraz from one from one of the upper blocks displaying optimal flavour and tannin ripeness. Destemmed with some minimal bunch inclusion for ferment in open top fermenters. Part spent maturation time in tank and the remainder in 2-year-old French oak to build complexity, structure and weight. Then careful blending of the components prior to release.

Food Pairing: This wine will partner many red meat dishes very well.