Sangiovese is a thin skinned grape, known for its savouryness and earthy characters as opposed to ripe berry fruit flavours. It shows an attractive red colour and can be characterised by high levels of tannin supported by ripe acidity. Sangiovese vines are well suited to soils with good drainage and abundant sunshine, both of which are found aplenty at Heathcote. The red wine of choice to accompany veal, prosciutto and sage or piquant chorizo recipes.

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN Sangiovese is harvested into 2½ tonnes steel bins, crushed into static fermenters and pumped over twice daily for twenty minutes each time. Temperature and acid levels are monitored constantly and adjusted as necessary, upon completion, batches are treated to an air bag press and racked off gross lees, followed by transfer to barrel for malolactic and a year's maturation in a selection of seasoned French oak barriques, topped up each month, as the angels take their share.

Ruby red colour. Earth and clay nose with mulberries, cooked rhubarb and licorice. Damp earthy aromas with mocha and chocolate over assertive tannins, good fruit sweetness and pleasant acidity. A lingering finish expressing savouryness over persistent, mouthfilling powdery tannins. Will match goats cheese or baked parmesan and onion flan.

Don Lewis spent thirty five years crafting the nation's most memorable vintages while at Mitchelton. Nowadays he travels to Spain each year where he makes wine for Merum Priorati, returning to Australia just in time for vintage. Riesling intrigues Lewis for ts excellence as a grape, it transforms into the most beguiling wine. When picked at optimal ripeness, Riesling grapes display a beautiful dusty, pale lemon gold hue, enchantingly perfumed with a sweet musk stick flavour. Lewis aims to retain these sublime complexities through to the finished wine.

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN Grapes are crushed and treated to an air bag press in the protective presence of SO2. Enzyme is added and the juices cold settled over the course of a week before being racked off settled solids into fermenters and inoculated to choice yeasts. A long, cool vinification, pressings and free run are separately fermented, assembled back into the free runs for fining and cold stabilisation. Fermented to dry at less than a gram of sugar per litre, Tar & Roses is fashioned to a food friendly style of crisp fruit freshness and enhanced varietal complexity.

Pale gold hues. Lifted bouquet, overflowing with orange and quince blossom, hints of mint and thyme. An impeccably structured palate, lime cordial and apple pie, seasoned by a touch of clove, deliciously mouthfilling, lemon and lime flavours that take you all the way to a crisp, dry, lingering finish, refreshing, graceful yet substantial enough to serve alongside roast pork with the lot.

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Winemaker Don Lewis adores the tannins, structure and electrifying expressions of Spanish wine. Fruit for Tar & Roses is harvested off elite Heathcote vineyards, much of which must be hand picked, all components are treated separately throughout ferments and ageing. The larger volume of Shiraz comes from richer Cambrian soils, while the smaller parcel is grown to much tougher gravelly, grantic soils. The first component makes a rounder, fuller fruit driven wine with intense chocolate and earth characters, the latter contributes elegance and restraint.

$2499each $299DOZEN EACH DOZEN A mostly Heathcote Shiraz, with a smaller component of fruit harvested off superior vineyards further afield. Bunches are crushed and destemmed into vinimatic fermenters, pumped over thrice daily and closely monitored for tannins, acidity and extraction. After ten days vinification, batches are pressed and racked off gross lees into a selection of seasoned and new, French oak barriques for completion of malolactic and a year's maturation.

Deep crimson colour. Intense black cherry aromas coupled with lifted raspberry notes, a compote of summer berries. Supported by hints of vanilla, chocolate and earthy complexity. Sweet black cherry fruit flavour with chalky cocoa/ chocolatey tannin. This, plus good acid and length makes a well balanced palate. A match with char grilled lamb cutlets and sugo pomodore.

A pure Tempranillo wine by one of Australia's most passionate protagonists of the style. A native of arid Italianate climes, Tempranillo achieves complete ripeness in the ferrous soils of Heathcote. Challenging Terra rosas and moderate seasons reduce vine vigor to yield limited parcels of intensely flavoured fruit. The talented team at Roses & Tar share a passion for the torrid Spanish varietals, closely managing their Heathcote sites to yield the finest possible Tempranillo. Match with spicy pork and fennel sausages.

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN From Don Lewis and Narelle King's Heathcote property, vinified alongside a component from a second choice Heathcote site. An early ripener, fruit is picked over the course of several days according to parcel ripeness and treated as a single batch once brought to the winery. Grapes are crushed and de-stemmed into a vinimatic fermenter and spun twice daily. Temperature and acid levels are constantly monitored throughout the vinification, upon completion the wine is treated to an air bag press. Racked off gross lees and transferred to barrel for a course of malolactic and maturation in a combination of new French oak and older barriques for a year.

Brilliant deep cherry red colour. Rich raspberries and cream bouquet with nutmeg and minerally notes. A fresh sweet palate, black cherries and a touch of tartness nicely balanced by chalky tannin, fruits burst over classic chalky tannin, well balanced by rhubarb astringency. Lingering prune plum flavours and great palate weight extend all the way to the finish.

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Barbera adapts brilliantly to the temperate slopes of Yarra Valley, this sun loving Mediterranean thrives in the cooler climes and yields wonderful harvests of perfectly ripened grapes, characterised by intensity of flavour, balance and finesse. Planted to a propitious northwest facing block of opportune clay loam soils, TarraWarra make Barbera in decidedly new world styling, designed to be delicious and fashioned for food. Tasting of winegums, dark olives and pretty potpourri pastille, TarraWarra makes the perfect accompaniement to piquant tomato pasta recipes, oven braised oxtail or charred fennel snags.

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Out front of the TarraWarra property sits a quirky herd of metal sculptures by artist Jeff Thompson, permanently grazing under a stand of trees. From fruit grown to mature Yarra Valley vines, TarraWarra's estate Chardonnay is crafted in much the same way as their flagship Reserve, the addition of a tank fermented component contributes freshness. A beautifully made, golden Chardonnay wine which over delivers, with its clean precise palate, luxuriously leesy barrel ferment characters, textural creaminess and superior length.

$2499each $299DOZEN EACH DOZEN Chardonnay clones P58 and Mendoza, I10V1 and I10V3, 76 and 78, are hand picked off vines up to thirty years of age. Parcels, many in the form of whole bunches, are crushed and pressed, with a view to building complexity within the finished wine. Half the juices are run straight to barrel for inoculation by yeast CY3079 in a combination of new and prior use French oaks, the balance is vinified in fermenters, aimed at retaining freshness and vitality to match the length and textural richness of barrel treatments. After a fortnight, batches are filled to a selection of Francois Freres, Mercurey, Sirugue and Seguin Moreau seasoned and new oak barriques and puncheons for ten months lees maturation.

Ripe pale yellow hue. Grapefruit and lemon zest aromas before underlying notes of cashew. The palate shows a creamy yet fine texture derived from time on lees. A lovely drive with persistence of flavour, elegant complexity and appealing freshness. A wholly integrated palate of ripe fruit restrained by the fine structure, French oak contributes an added dimension, delicately on the finish.

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