Heirloom is the venture of experienced duo Zar and Elena Brooks; who have previously founded Dandelion Vineyards and Zonte's Footsteps. With an aim of preserving the unique old vineyards of South Australia, championing the best clones of each variety and embracing organic and biodynamic practices, the wines from Heirloom consistently impress.
The 2022 Heirloom McLaren Vale Shiraz follows in the footsteps of the hugely popular recent vintages of this wine; delivering an intensely flavoured yet poised red wine. Packed with plenty of blackberry, dark chocolate and blue fruit flavours, this still maintains poise, balance and approachability. A McLaren Vale Shiraz that will offer plenty of appeal over the next decade, this offers remarkable value drinking at this discounted price (RRP $40).
"93 Points. From low yielding vines in McLaren Vale, the wine sees bunch sorting, wild yeasts, hand plunging and sixteen months in a mix of new and older French and Bulgarian oak barriques. An opaque black cherry colour here, the nose offers a mix of savoury notes, including; leather, black fruits, undergrowth, cloves, espresso and dark chocolate. A burly, powerful and concentrated style, with good acidity and fine tannins, backed by serious length. A good decade ahead of it. Probably not your first choice if a delicate Pinot is your thing, but if bold and forceful is your preferred style, you’ll love it. And let’s face it, if a delicate Pinot is your thing, you are not shopping in the McLaren Vale Shiraz aisle. $40. Drink by: 2024-2034"- Ken Gargett, winepilot.com.
"An appealing Shiraz that captures much of the mid-palate sweetness from McLaren Vale. It’s generous with a fully ripe, opulent fruit underpinning to create a plush smooth, textured wine. Plummy chocolate aromas with a liberal sprinkling of spices. The palate has a firm tannin input with the combination of French and American oak providing the ideal contribution. Whilst the grainy, gravelly palate feel complements the wine’s sweet fruit characters. 92 Points. $40. Drink: 2024 - 2034"- Ray Jordan, winepilot.com.
