Description

This vintage of Coliban Valley Shiraz offers classic Heathcote Shiraz on an elegant platform. Initially Coliban Valley Shiraz smells of caramel, cream and cola. Then the blue and black berry fruits come through. Graphite, compost and violets are also evident.

Coliban Valley is full in the mouth, prominent oak tannins show through with a silky mouthfeel and lovely acid. The flavours from the nose come through on the palate and they linger pleasantly for a long time.

I’m not sure when this Coliban Valley Shiraz will be at its peak; it is tasty now, Helen and Greg recommend drinking it from now until 2029. But at the same time, Greg says they are drinking the 2004 Shiraz from Coliban Valley and they are still lovely.

After tasting this Coliban Valley Shiraz I guessed it sold for $40 and was very happy to hear it only costs $28. This is the best value wine to cellar I’ve tasted all year.

Coliban Valley Heathcote Shiraz 2019, and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.

Helen and Greg Miles established a 4-hectare vineyard in Metcalfe, just south of Redesdale in Heathcote. Their North-facing granitic slope is perfect for making full-bodied, full-flavoured Shiraz and Cabernet, but their Riesling is also a highlight from their line-up. Interesting is that Metcalfe is in the half-world between Heathcote and Macedon. It is too cool to be Heathcote but too warm to be Macedon. What they get is the best of both worlds and that means you get elegant, full-flavoured wines that will age incredibly well.

*As a disclosure, I am friends with Greg Miles and have been having dinner together every second month as part of a tasting group since 2003.

Coliban Valley Heathcote Shiraz 2019 Winery Notes

“A deep red colour, aromas of dark fruits, spice and coffee, elegant, smooth and concentrated with some pepperiness and well integrated oak. Enjoy from now until 2029. 14% alcohol.”

Heathcote

Victoria’s glamour region for lovers of big red wine. And the core production is Shiraz and Cabernet with ‘guts’. But it is a region that offers a lot of diversity when you scratch the surface. The cooler southern parts border Macedon and make lovely aromatic wines. There is a lot of experimentation and adoption of more drought-resistant Italian varieties with positive results too.

Shiraz/Syrah

A bit of a chameleon, Shiraz can change how it looks depending on terroir and/or wine maker influence. The Syrah based wines of Northern Rhone are dry and austere while the Shiraz of Barossa is rich and fleshy. A variety that lends itself to long aging but can be drunk at any time of its evolution.

Australian Wine

The invasion of “Sunshine in a bottle” put Australian wine on the map.  The fruity, easy-going, somewhat samey wines were endearing for a short time. Then the next big thing knocked them off their perch.

This forced producers to increase quality and emphasise the distinctive terroirs of Australia. Of which, there are many. And many more yet to be discovered.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is impressive. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Red Wine

Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.

By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannin and flavour. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.

Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.