Heirloom Vineyards, Barossa Shiraz
Vintage: 2022
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | HE201A22 | 12 x 75 | Screwcap | Available |
Producer
Zar and Elena Brooks, of Dandelion Vineyards fame, founded Heirloom Vineyards in order to make wines from a selection of their best fruit.
“Our aim,” says Zar, “is to preserve the best of tradition (the old world of wine and our unique old vineyards) and to champion the best clones of each variety planted in the most appropriate sites, embracing the principles of organic and biodynamic farming.”
The Barossa Shiraz is intense and ripe yet nicely defined. The Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir, made with 50% whole bunch, has bright, crunchy red fruit flavours and supple tannins. It offers excellent value. Richard Hemming MW agrees, stating, “I defy anyone to find better-value Pinot Noir than Heirloom in the Adelaide Hills.”
Vineyards
The Shiraz grapes come from an old vineyard in the Barossa. Many vines are over 100 years of age, a number of which are still on their original rootstock.
Vintage
The 2022 vintage in the Barossa Valley was defined by a long, balanced growing season that delivered healthy fruit and strong varietal expression. A wet winter and spring provided abundant soil moisture after several dry years, but summer rainfall was generally low, with growing-season totals below average, helping to moderate disease pressure and support steady ripening. Temperatures were mild through much of the season, with few extreme heat events, allowing acids to persist and flavours to develop gradually. Isolated weather events, including severe hail in parts of the valley, impacted yields locally, but many vineyards produced ripe grapes with excellent natural acidity, colour, and flavour concentration.
Vinification
Whole bunches were hand-picked and sorted before undergoing natural fermentation in open-top fermenters. The wine was then gently basket-pressed into a combination of French and American oak barriques for maturation before bottling.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
This wine is intense purple in colour with youthful highlights. There is a remarkable concentration of spicy black fruits on the nose with a subtle background of balsamic and allspice. The palate is soft and structured with velvety tannins. The finish is long and lingering with dark chocolate notes.
Alcohol (ABV)
14.5%
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heirloom Vineyards | Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir | HE205 | R | Factsheet |