Alans Cabernets
Original Shiraz
Mt Pleasant
St Michaels
Six Splits
Yellow Hammer Hill
Van Cordinaire
ATVJ's
Wondalee
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Planted in 1979/80, the Alans Cabernets Vineyard is located 4kms south-west of the Heathcote township, on very shallow hungry clay based soils. Made up of five different varieties, David originally planted this vineyard with a specific wine in mind. It sits in a small valley surrounded by hills on three sides and dense grey-box forest on the other. The vineyard has four distinct areas, with the old block (5.5 acres) divided into three sections. The first section is Cabernet Sauvignon, faces north-west, and consequently due to a comparatively reduced crop and greater exposure to sunshine, ripens one week earlier than section two, also Cabernet Sauvignon which faces south-east. The third section is made up of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The fourth section is a new planting on the same block of land, but facing north-west and situated some 200m from the main block. It is comprised of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot.
The Original Shiraz Vineyard is situated next to the Winery itself, some 7kms south-west of the Heathcote township. Planted in 1988 on Buckshot Quarts and Clay Shale, this vineyard is only small in size (5 acres), but is primarily responsible for some of the most intense flavours one is ever likely to put in ones mouth. The fruit from this yard was the fruit used exclusively for the original Springflat Shiraz wines (1991-1996), and has been the base wine for both the Shiraz Reserve and Duck Muck. This vineyard is unique. It faces north-east and receives all the morning sunshine, perfect for ultra-ripe Shiraz with high naturally acidity. Its position, with a pronounced range of hills to the north and east, and tall trees to the south, naturally protect this wonderful vineyard from the harsh summer winds from the north, and the bitterly cold winds from the south. Cool night, often down to below 5_C, allow this vineyard to develop intense flavours and extremely thick-skinned berries.
Mt Pleasant Vineyard & St Michael’s Vineyard
Both vineyards are located at the southern end of the Colbinabbin Range, and are situated adjacent to each other. The Colbinabbin Range stretches for approximately 30kms and runs directly north south. The soils in this area are the deep red Cambrian soils. Extremely fertile, they allow vines to grow freely and ripen easily when facing due east as these yards do. Intense berry flavours and deep crimson colour simply ooze from the fruit taken from these vineyards. The fruit from both St Michael’s and Mt Pleasant almost entirely goes to Springflat Shiraz. In some years, the fruit from Mt Pleasant Vineyard enters the Shiraz Reserve and Duck Muck.
Lovingly cared for by Louise Rathjen, the Six Splits Vineyard is situated 10kms north of the Mt Pleasant & St Michael’s vineyards. It too is situated to the deep red Cambrian soils of the Heathcote wine region’s northern stretches and faces north-east. The fruit from this vineyard generally goes to the Springflat Shiraz.
The Yellow Hammer Hill vineyard is located 500m from the Alans Cabernets Vineyard, on a north-west slope some 6.5kms south-west of the Heathcote township. Planted and managed but a group of friends (Dawn Bennet, Andrew Carter, Gary Beer & Miranda Holt), the sole purpose of this vineyard was to produce a Shiraz Malbec blend. This was the primary vineyard of the wine Yellow Hammer Hill
Shiraz Malbec, which has since evolved to something much bigger. A yard of a mighty 4 acres, it is made up of 70% Malbec and 30% Shiraz.
Owned by our friends Anne and Ian Cordiner, this vineyard is situated 1km from the winery and faces directly south-west on Buckshot sandy clay shales. It is made up of 100% Shiraz planted between the years 1995 & 2000. Because of its aspect, and the vine having little morning sunshine, the grapes ripen much slower than the Original vineyard and it is often picked some 3 weeks later than the ‘Original Vineyard’. This in turn allows the vines to develop quite different flavours. Fruit from this yard goes to Springflat Shiraz and Yellow Hammer Hill Shiraz Malbec.
Planted, owned and managed by Arthur and Lorraine Glazebrook, this vineyard of some 3.5 acres is situated at the eastern foot of Mt Alexander, on the most southern point of the Bendigo Wine Region at Sutton Grange. Facing east on Sandy clay soils, this vineyard produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and a small parcel of Shiraz. These grapes have made up until recently, the bulk of ‘The Blend’.
This small vineyard (0.5 acres), owned by Allen and Libby Williams, is on a north facing situated at Kangaroo Ground north of Melbourne in the Yarra Valley Wine Region. Each year it produces very high quality Merlot that is always destined to end up in ‘The Blend’.