Heathcote II is the product of two individuals, Peder Rosdal and Lionel Flutto and is all about producing premium red wines of the highest quality. The wines are made purely from grapes grown on our property in Toolleen and the vines are all dry grown with yields rarely exceeding 1 ton to the acre. The property spans over 80 acres of undulating red soil, however only 13 acres are planted into vines. Most of that being Shiraz, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The oldest vines have an average age of 15 years. New Plantings include Tempranillo and Grenache.

 
At Heathcote II we do not pick the grapes until they are completely ripe, meaning when the flavours and tannins are fully developed and not only based on the sugar levels. Peder is the French trained winemaker and responsible for making the wine. He uses traditional yet modern winemaking techniques taken from his experiences in Europe and the US. Before the fermentation starts the grapes are macerating for 2 to 3 days and then the yeast is added. The fermentation goes on for 10 to 14 days in small open vats. In order to maximize deep color and flavor extraction, the fermenting juice is hand-plunged twice a day. This very effective technique was initially developed in Burgundy many years ago and is still considered the most gentle way to extract the essence of the grapes. All the wines have a dry finish and they are aged in the highest quality French oak barrels for 22 to 24 months.Lionel is more involved in the viticulture side where the focus is on achieving balanced vines able to cope with summer stress. With no irrigation, each vine is individually hand pruned to an optimum cropping level where stress is managed for flavor balance and concentration. The dry conditions prevailing most of the year reduce the disease pressure dramatically making it easy to manage the vineyard with minimal chemical sprays.
Heathcote II makes three wines, all in limited quantities; Shiraz, HD Shiraz and the Myola, (a unique Cabernet/ Merlot blend).

Cellar Door – By appointment only