After the lengthy road trip from Tahbilk, we finally arrived at Shelmerdine winery, our first stop in Heathcote. Well, that's not entirely true... Our driver, Brian, allowed us a pit stop at a fun local pub to grab a palate-cleansing ale before we dove into more wine. A meager five minutes later, we were back in the car and around the corner at Shelmerdine.
The Shelmerdine visit was less than extraordinary. We were seated at the tasting bar and poured the line of their current releases. The assosciate pouring for us was knowledgable, but unable to answer any of our geeky or logistical questions about the wines. We tasted a servicable and simple 2010 Riesling, a horrific 2009 Viognier, the tightly wound 2007 Cabernet, and a decent 2007 Shiraz. The best wine of the flight was poured last: the 2007 "Merindoc" Shiraz which was an odd one and probably not for everyone, but had some interesting meaty characteristics that reminded of being at a summer BBQ: roasted ribs, bbq sauce, pickle juice, black pepper, and black fruits with crushed red fruits layered in. This was also very pricey for what it delivered.
I'm sad to say that the best part of the visit to Shelmerdine, and actually one of the highlights of the entire trip, was the espresso we had there. I can't believe I'm still talking about this coffee. It was the perfect balance of bitterness, fruity, ashy, roasted, et al. And, man, did it crack us out for the rest of the day! If you ever visit this winery, the espresso is a MUST HAVE!
We quickly made our way down the road to a store frontage for Heathcote Estate wines where we met Tom Carlson, who I had recently met in Los Angeles for the Landmark Australia tasting. Tom is the winemaker for a few labels: the aforementioned Heathcote Estate, Cooralook (a sort of second label) and Yabby Lake. He poured us a sampling of wines from all three labels. Of the six wines he poured, the wine of the flight (and a memorable one from the trip) was the Heathcote Estate Shiraz 2008. It was decidedly new world Syrah, but such a lovely snapshot of it: espresso-rubbed meats, savory green herbs, eucalyptus, smokey bacon, ripe blue/black fruits. And the most wonderful part about this wine is that it's one of the few wines we tasted on the entire trip that will actually be available in the U.S. At the moment, you're more likely to find the 2005 and 2006, but this 2008 will be worth seeking out. I would also be ashamed not to mention the 2006 Heathcote Estate Grenache which was also surprisingly good.
Our last visit of the day was one we had all been looking forward to: Jasper Hill. Jasper Hill has something of a cult following in Australia and a bit here in the States. They rarely have wine to sell because they sell out almost immediately when they release over there. Ron Laughton is the owner and winemaker, along with his daughter. We began with his 2010 Riesling which smelled a bit like Lillet Blanc and Orangecello, but tasted like a fruity, hopped beer. I was not particularly a fan of this style. We began the reds with the 2009 'Cornella's Vineyard' Grenache: aromas of black truffle and blue cheese, fruity but also austere, eucalyptus and raspberry/strawberry - this was very young but wildly intriguing. Next, the 2009 'Georgia's Paddock' Shiraz showed cumin, florality, eucalyptus, balanced blue and red fruits, and loads of structure that suggest long-term aging will be necessary. The 'Occum's Razor' Shiraz 2009 is made by Ron's daughter: it fell slightly more into the camp of warm-weather Aussie Shiraz and not nearly as complex as the Jasper Hill wines, but still good and especially at half the price. Lastly, Ron poured us the Shiraz/Cabernet Franc 'Emily's Paddock' 2009, which was my favorite wine of the flight: Very floral overtones, violets, eucalyptus, crisp acidity and massively structured with more pepper, chalk, tobacco and licorice on the palate. Overall, these are powerhouse wines that need time, but I think they will be worth the time spent.
After what was probably our busiest day of tasting, we checked into our rooms at the Emeu Inn where a dinner with about ten wineries and winemakers was being held for us in what was essentially both their lobby and dining room. It was a casual dinner with all the wines being passed around so I didn't manage any formal notes while talking with the winemakers. However, there were some interesting wines in the mix, including a couple of Sangioveses and roses.
I sprung for a round of Fernet Branca to round out the dinner. This was one of two places that I saw it and I couldn't resist. The Emeu Inn is adorable and I'd highly recommend it if you're in the Heathcote area. It's run by a very sweet woman from New York and her husband, who is the chef.
All said and done, the wines from Heathcote were coming closer to expected Australian style for me. Especially having begun with super-cool climate regions, these started to stand out as more forward. But the right producers are making some terrific wines and certainly wines that I wouldn't mind having on my table for dinner. The real testamant is this: the day I got back to the States, I hunted down some older Jasper Hill wines to taste and put in the cellar. I'll let you know how they are!
Cheers!
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