An elegant take on Heathcote Shiraz from a good vintage. Has the structure to go the distance so make sure you give it a good decant if you’re tucking in now.
A chassis of high-quality oak frames plums and blackberries. It’s vital and not at all cumbersome. Regional gun-flint characters sit alongside suggestions of savoury earth and iodine. Licorice comes along for the ride as it opens up. Tannins are fine-grained and almost powdery. Spicy extension and a few glimmers of raspberry. Sophisticated wine indeed, with admirable shape and precise delivery. 94 Excellent
Region: Heathcote
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $35
Tasted: April 2013
Hello Jeremy,
As a general comment/question it relates to stated alcohol levels on the bottle of oz red wines.
How accurate are they ?
Is there a tolerance factor?
Are they independently assessed/checked?
Are there penalties for incorrectly stating the alcohol level?
If so, who enforces the penalties?
Has an Australian vineyard ever been penalised for stating an incorrect alc level?
Thanks again
Colin
Hi Colin. Australian laws allow a leeway of + or – 1.5% on the alcohol reading listed. I’d like to see that tightened up although that opinion may not go down well with producers.
There are audits and penalties but unfortunately I’m not that knowledgable when it comes to their frequency. I suspect someone has been hit with a fine at some point by now but I don’t know of a specific instance which I can refer to.
I believe certain people have a naturally higher (or lower) tolerance to alcohol when it comes to detection or destraction but yes, I think that there’s probably a degree of tolerance involved too. If you’re drinking wines with higher ABVs regularly then there’s a good chance any alcohol warmth or heat is going to seem less prominent – and/or some people enjoy it.
The last thing I’d add is that, leeway aside some wines show more warmth and heat at lower ABVs than those at higher levels. It would be ideal if we could just read the alcohol listing and gain a precise understanding from the numbers but unfortunately – in my experience at least – that isn’t really possible. For various reasons some wines “hold their alcohol” better than others. Ultimately we’re left with our own individual palate and preferences as the main arbiter.
Hi Jeremy,
I had the opportunity to stand a greenstone shiraz 2010 up against a Hennings 2010 shiraz (both from Heathcote) which was an interesting exercise, both decanted for 2 hours.
I found the Greenstone even after that time to be a little brutish with jagged/sharp edges on the back palate. I have tried previous vintages of Greenstone shiraz and have experienced this before. Perhaps the “spicy extension” you spoke of is what I experienced, though it seems a little out of place on the back palate.
The Hennings has more elegance and finesse in all areas (which may not be a general characteristic of heathcote shiraz as I see it) sure they both have typically powdery tannins but for a sub $30 shiraz it’s great value.
Have you had the chance to try the Hennings from that year ?
I’ve not tried the Hennings before Colin. I believe that there is worth in talking about the regionality of Heathcote in wine terms but as with most regions, there’s a lot of diversity within that. For instance, the 2009 Heathcote Estate looks very much like the result of a warmer year yet the 2009 Heathcote Estate Block F is a completely different wine – from the same vineyard. More floral, brighter fruit etc. And my understanding (right or wrong) is the Heathcote Estate vineyard is not necessarily the most likely site to produce elegance within the area.
It could be that the ‘jagged/sharp edges’ are related to the tannin structure or the oak, although of course without having the wines here (and tasting them with you) that is just a guess. Even with two hours in a decanter it wouldn’t surprise me if the structure hadn’t fully integrated as I expect it to several years down the track. But the Hennings could also quite possibly be a Shiraz of greater finesse. It’s one of the more intriguing aspects of wine to me. I’ll see if I can track a 2010 Hennings down at some point but I haven’t seen any of their wines at the retail or online stores that I frequent…so it may be difficult.