Tyrrells Rufus Stone, Heathcote Shiraz

Tyrrells Rufus Stone, Heathcote Shiraz

Deep rich red to crimson in colour, indicates the intensity of this wine. The nose is full of ripe plum and dark cherries with a hint of white pepper and sweet vanillin. The flavours carry onto the palate which is full of big soft fruit, but balanced by an elegant oak structure and natural acid, resulting in a rich wine with a complex and fresh structure.

Rich in gold mining history, the Heathcote region developed into a wine production area in the 1950s with expansion taking place in the 1980s. The Heathcote region is nestled between Bendigo, the Macedon Ranges and Goulburn Valley and is 120km north-west of Melbourne. The landscape comprises undulating rises and narrow alluvial floodplains providing the climate and soil for Shiraz vines to thrive. The climate is temperate, ideally suited to full-bodied, rich and textured Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Full ripeness is always achieved, but the climate is not so warm as to diminish varietal character.

The Heathcote region has established a reputation for high quality red table wines. Shiraz wines of unimaginable depth of colour and extreme weight of fruit are now the hallmarks of this relatively new region. Harvest commences in mid March. The Tyrrell’s Heathcote vineyard was put to vine in 1994 and was fully planted out in 1997 with its first release in the same year. The Heathcote Vineyard sits in the deep Cambrian soil giving it a unique ability to produce extraordinary wines. The vineyard is high enough on the eastern slope of the Mt Camel range to be out of the frost zone and is protected from the hot sun in the late afternoon. Area Under Vine 65 acres