Heathcote is situated about 100 km north of Melbourne in Central Victoria at altitudes between 160-380 metres. This is classic rolling Australian countryside punctuated by eucalypts and rounded hills. The defining feature of the region is the ‘Heathcote red snake’ a strip of ancient, deep, red Cambrian soils with good water holding capacity, imparting a distinct and unique flavour profile to Shiraz, the superstar of the region. The region is warm and strongly continental with low rainfall, but enjoys an even temperature range during ripening. Founded in the 1850’s Heathcote was originally a gold rush town. Vines were planted in the 1860’s, but were subsequently decimated by phylloxera with modern day plantings only re-established during the 1960’s. Although best known for its rich tannic powerful Shiraz, Heathcote also produces a wide range of varieties including Riesling, Chardonnay and Viognier alongside the Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Emerging varieties of Sangiovese and Tempranillo also show great promise.
Winery
PYREN VINEYARD
Pyren is a small family-owned vineyard located in the Warrenmang Valley in Victoria’s Pyrenees region. The winery was established 1999 by the Joy family with just over 32 ha of low yielding vineyards. A cool-climate area, the Pyrenees mountains provide a multitude of altitudes and aspects, allowing for even ripening of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. The vineyards are anchored on free-draining sedimentary soils littered with quartz of poor fertility. Pyren produces a handful of premium wines including Broken Quartz Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux blend called Yardbird, Block E Shiraz, and Studio Ink, a traditional Australian blend of Cabernet and Shiraz.
