Vineyards
Heathcote, Victoria
Heathcote, in central Victoria, is well-renowned for its rich soils and characteristic, intense, balanced red wines. Both the climate and soils of this region are strongly influenced by the Mt Camel Range which runs from Corop in the north to Tooborac in the south, providing natural tunnelling for the prevailing cool, south to south-east winds that blow throughout the growing period from October to March.
The Heathcote Estate vineyard is situated on Drummond's Lane, bordering the well known Jasper Hill Emily’s Paddock Vineyard. The vineyard is planted on the slightly undulating, north-facing country which is the heartland of the region.
The land is classic Heathcote terrain - rich red-brown top soil of variable depth, but on average 15 centimetres lying above a sub-soil of clay, small rocks, quartz and rubble. This is scarcely fertile country, but it is ideal for vines as it has excellent water-holding capacity, without promoting too much vigour.
We understand we are merely custodians of our land and to make the wines deserved of this site we must have rich, healthy soils. This philosophy has led us to minimal chemical input in the vineyard and a move towards organic viticultural techniques.
Heathcote Vineyard Facts
| Established | 1999 |
| Varietal breakdowns | 72 acres of shiraz (BVRC 12, BVRC30, SA 1654, ESA 3021, PT 23, SA ii27) 10 acres of Grenache (ancestral McLaren Vale) 5 acres of Viognier (grafted from Elgee Park) |
| Soils | “Greenstones”, deep, red and rich Cambrian soils |
| Density of Plantings | 3 metres between rows with an inter-vine gap of 1.2 metres |
| Trellising system | Traditional, single cord on tressel |
| Typical harvest | late March to early April |
| Cropping levels | 1.0-1.5 t/acre |
Map of Victoria
Map of Heathcote