ll Heartland wines are made by Ben Glaetzer with fruit from our mature vineyards at Langhorne Creek (one of Australia's oldest wine regions) and Limestone Coast in South Australia.
Region: Langhorne Creek 64%, Limestone Coast 36%
Variety: Shiraz 100%
Tasting notes:
A vibrant ruby/purple in colour, the 08 Heartland Shiraz has hints of chocolate, pepper and tobacco leaf on the nose. Blackcurrant, rhubarb and spicy aniseed flavours abound on the palate, and are perfectly balanced by fine, supple tannins. The 2008 vintage is more generous at release than the 2007, showing juicy, rich, varietal characters.
2008 vintage:
2008 was a vintage of extremes but resulted in some excellent parcels of fruit. It was an early, compressed harvest period for both Langhorne Creek & Limestone Coast.
The first half of the vintage was mild and dry throughout February, but as March approached, most South Australian regions were defined by a record-breaking heatwave, with approximately the last 20-30% of the vintage severely heat affected. The red varieties required special attention to avoid overstress during the final stages of ripening. Luckily, we managed to pick a good portion of crops in both regions before the heat could take its toll.
Vinification:
The wine was pumped over twice a day and spent ten days on skins. Fermentation with Rhone isolate yeast was at 18-24 degrees C. Extended maceration resulted savoury, long tannins which give a soft, approachable palate and enables mid-term cellaring. The wine spent 12 months in oak, and was bottled early to maintain the fresh, lifted fruit character on the nose which comes from the Langhorne Creek component.
