BlackJack Vineyards is situated on the granitic soil of the Harcourt Valley in the Bendigo wine region of Central Victoria. BlackJack was the name given to an American sailor who, during the Gold Rush era of the 1850's jumped ship and found his way to the Castlemaine Goldfields. A road adjacent to BlackJack Vineyard still bears his name.
Perhaps following a similar dream but in search of liquid gold, Ian McKenzie and Ken Pollock and their families planted their first vines on an old apple orchard at Harcourt in 1988. Further planting in 1989 completed the initial four hectare vineyard development of mainly shiraz and cabernet sauvignon with a small area of merlot as well.
More shiraz was planted in 1998 on what has become known as Block 6. Part of this block is on Castlemaine sandstone gravel rather than the very old granitic soils on the rest of the property. The different soil profile and different clonal material gives Block 6 Shiraz what we see as more Rhone - like characters.
BlackJack Vineyards released its first wine in November 1994 and in the short period since has established an enviable reputation for producing fine and generous red wine. It is the BlackJack philosophy to produce consistently high-quality red wines that reflect the vineyard and vintage variations. We hope you enjoy them.
The focus at BlackJack is clearly on Shiraz, with their Bendigo and Block 6 Shiraz offering an insight into the high quality the region is capable of, while BlackJack's 'Chortles Edge' consistently delivers exceptional value for money drinking.
