Tucked away off the beaten track, an ancient barn at Jones Road offers fantastic vistas of the rolling Moorooduc countryside. But the converted piggery is not just about sightseeing. The neighbouring Grange and Nepean Blocks deliver small but splendid harvests of intense Chardonnay grapes with superb flavour development and bright natural acidity. The team aim to capture all the classic Mornington Peninsula grapefruit, peach and nectarine fruit characters, retaining all the freshness whilst adding complexity and texture throughout the vinification process.

A consistent performer on the wine show circuit as it hails from a microclimate that is ideally suited to growing Chenin Blanc grapes with vibrancy and distinctive varietal characters. John Gehrig is a fourth generation winemaker, a descendant of Victoria's oldest winemaking family which settled in the late 1850s at Barnawartha at Victoria's northeast. From Chenin Blanc grown on the Gehrig family estate in Oxley along the King River which lies between Milawa and Glenrowan, a pure varietal wine with a full palate, exquisite balance and clean crisp finish.

Occam's Razor is a marque established by Emily Laughton, daughter of Jasper Hill winemakers Ron and Elva. A teacher by training, a traveller by choice and a winemaker by preference and practice, Emily has crafted this very special Shiraz wine from fruit supplied by independent growers Andrew and Melissa Conforti, from the neighbouring town of Mia Mia, within the Heathcote wine region. Occam's Razor is produced in small, highly prized quantities based on the same bio-dynamic principles as Jasper Hill's flagship editions of conspicuous red wines.

Outstanding Langtons Classification. A spectacular effort which sparked the gold rush into the sovereign Heathcote style. Georgias Paddock is a powerful single vineyard Shiraz laden with exotic flavours, gentle spice, engaging complexity and heart stirring tannins. Minimal intervention allows the personality of fruit grown on this unique paddock to fully express itself in the wine.

Outstanding Langtons Classification. A superior vineyard wine, named for the winemaker's daughter (also a winemaker), a red label commemorates the devastating bush fires of 1987. Simpy try the majestically profound Emily's Paddock, or Georgia's Paddock Shiraz and you will find some of Australia's greatest Shiraz, ultimate expressions of the terroir of the Heathcote region!� -Oz Clarke,.

Outstanding Langtons Classification. A national icon wine of impressive structure, concentrated and powerful, with decidedly Australian complexity.

Outstanding Langtons Classification. Emily's Paddock was planted in 1975, initiating a resurgence of interest into the towering, ferrous styles of Heathcote Shiraz. The aim was never to make money but to create great wine, on a par with the august Shiraz classics of the old world. Emily is beautiful but eccentric, the usual plum spiceyness of Shiraz, a profound structure and stately elegance, finishing firmer and lengthier. Cabernet Franc adds complexity but ultimately its the vineyard terroir that distinguishes Emily from rival sibling Georgia.

For connoisseurs of remarkable and unique wines, spectacularly concentrated, the Emily represents an exceptional expression of Heathcote Shiraz. Aged completely in French oak, a beautiful floral-scented perfume, aromas of blueberries, blackberries, asphalt, and subtle notes of wood as well as incense. Possessing great structure, compelling depth, remarkable intensity and richness, and a 60-second finish, this compelling wine of both power and elegance should hit its prime in 3-4 years, and last for two decades.

An artisanal, single vineyard effort of 250 cases production by small batch winemaker Gary Mills, ex of Margaret River's Amberley Estate and California's Ridge Vineyard. Mills will pick five or six sites per vintage and retain the best for his Jamsheed single vineyard series. Yarra Valley Syrahs are a favourite of Mills for their superb perfume and large chalky, ageable tannins. Purity, intensity and texture define Jamsheeds approach to Syrah, a treat for enthusiasts of the pastoral genre, exhibiting spiced musk fruit flavours and evocative earth characters.

Irrewarra vineyard was established to the eastern environs of Lake Colac by the Calvert family in 2001, predominantly six acres of a mixture Pinot Noir clones on own rootstock. A magical place defined by an eloquent expression of terroir, its long, fruitful growing season extends to mid April, as the closely packed bunches of Pinot Noir ripen fully into juicy treasure chests of flavour, adroitly lined by the finest, satin sheen tannins. Its bucolic splendour of animate pasteurs, wild cherries and sun dried spice, resonate long and lovely on an elegantly structured, texturally mineral palate.

Crafted from the meagre harvest of a precious two acres Chardonnay, planted to the top of a felicitious slope that looks away towards the idyllic pastorals of Victoria's fertile western agriculture. Irrewarra wines are encouraged in the making, to be articulate of the season in which they are grown, to express a pride of provenance and sense of place. It's all about the treatise of terroir at Irrewarra, composing Chardonnay of real structure, big boned, fruity and fleshed, a luxurious minerality in aqueous suspension of penetrating grapefruit characters, cumquat, seashells and brine.

Very much in the style of a Rhône Syrah, aromatic, elegantly structured and suave, offering violet and white pepper notes, blueberries and soy over fine cherry tannins. Just a dash of Viognier imparts ethereal, teasing perfumes of honeysuckle and turkish delight. Fruit is hand picked from choice vineyards in the Pyrenees and Yarra Valley, treated to a course of old world style, whole berry ferments. Syrah is a great food wine, match with capsicum recipes and wild rice, the innocent bystander loves to feed!

For those who like their Pinot Noir to be long, savoury and lean, with oodles of fruit to wax lyrical about. A collation of harvests from the Sexton and Tarraford vineyards, with contributions from a fraternity of superior local growers. The uncrushed grapes are wild yeast fermented and treated to a light carbonic maceration in the manner of a Beaujolais, achieving a vigorously fruit driven Pinot Noir with crisp acids and stirring aromas. Enjoy alongside both versions of rare breast or crisp skinned duck, the perfect match to tapas and Al fresco faire.

A new wave and the next big thing? Been around forever actually. Great Pinot Gris can only come from fine vineyards. There are two distinctive styles in Australia, zippy with lemon freshness and crisp acidity or the richer, textural, full bodied type. Both share an attractive mineral element that adds complexity. For all you anything but chardonnay drinkers, here's a generously flavoured white, derived from red coloured grapes, crisp and refined, born and bred for food, goes great with charcouterie, fresh seafoods or highly spiced cuisine.

Fashioned from the ripest Sunraysia harvests of Black and Gordo Muscat grapes, parcels of the most intensely flavoured grapes, picked only as they achieve comely, watermelon pink hues. Treated to a course of natural spritzy ferment for maximum titillation, Innocent Bystander blooms with a brilliant bouquet of fairy floss and musk, blackcurrant and juicy turkish delights. Its moreish pink palate of muscat berries and tropical punch, makes her the libation of choice alongside smart nibbles, relaxed brunches, fruity sorbets and creamy, cheesy desserts.

Great things come in small packages, at only 375ml, tiny little Pink Moscato has become a great big phenomenon. Why? It's the very definition of fun, one of the few indulgences in life which can be relied upon to set the perfect mood, whatever the ocassion and whoever the company. A true Moscato fashioned from the pick of the most succulent Muscat Gordo and Muscat of Hamburg grapes, light in alcohol, fantastically fizzed, brimming with berries and summer fruits, rose petal perfumes and luscious turkish delights.

A lively cépage of Black and Gordo Muscat grown to the Boulton and Duffy, Burge, Wall and Pratt Vineyards at Swan Hill. Early harvest is essential to arrive at a benign level of alcohol, a palate full of flavour, crispy citrus tang and natural fruit sweetness. A scrumptuous wine with an exotic mix of watermelon, musk and rose petal flavours, red apple, hubba bubba and pink ice cream. It's low in alcohol but a single bottle is unlikely to be enough because with a drink this good, there's no excuse for not sharing.

A compelling experience in Chardonnay, crafted by a team of winemakers and viticulturalists who eschew the bland direction and market dominance, increasingly exerted by the oligopoly of corporate players. In a nutshell, they see themselves as innocent bystanders. A collation of Yarra valley harvests from the Primavera, Shaws Road and Tarraford sites, assembled around a core of splendid fruit from the distinguished Sexton estate vineyard on the Warramate Ranges at Coldstream.

A single superior block of vine at Gembrook, planted to the coolest aspects of the steepest slope on Hoddles Creek, always yielding a finely articulated Chablis style of Chardonnay, defined by its elegance, crystalline texture and exceptional length. Sheltered from the direct rays of the afternoon sun, the precious grapes in Syberia ripen slowly for a harvest that's without peer, the hand picked bunches are pressed to a selection of oak for ferments in the traditional Burgundian way, a strict barrel cull for excellence, reduces the final yield to a mere hundred dozen.

The steeply sloping blocks in Upper Yarra Valley, astride Gembrook Rd and adjacent to Hoddles Creek, were designed by the hand of Providence, to yield stellar vintages of world class Pinot Noir. The challenging hillsides prohibit mechanical harvesting, it's all done by hand, except for the treading, laboriously foot stomped. No expenses were ever spared in the construct of the Hoddles Creek cellars, purpose built for the ageing of good red wine. The estate Winery Block and Top Paddock are planted mostly to Pinot Noir clone MV6, with smaller parcels of 114, 115, GSV15 and MS1.

The Hoddles Creek property is a highly challenging site to manage, the steep slopes and temperate climes however, yield the finest Yarra Valley Pinot Gris. Nothing is done by half measure, the viticultural team afford great reverence for their vines and treat their fruit with respect. Grapes are selectively sorted and treated to a minimalist, old world vinification, foot stomped and chilled for a term of skin contact, pressed into pre loved oak barriques for timely completion of ferments. Pinot Gris for its own sake, a measure of stalkiness and fine grape tannins in exquisite balance.

Hoddles Creek Estate were established 1997 when the D'Anna family planted vines on property they had the foresight to acquire in 1960. Estate winemaker Franco D'Anna attributes his traineeship at Coldstream Hills, for the rigorous hygiene practices which are fundamental to the excellence of Hoddles Creek wine. Grapes are all hand picked and gently pressed, PInot Blanc loves to do its own thing for maximum expression, allowed to commence a natural ferment and six months gross lees, building substantial palate structure, juicy textures and a measure of pastoral funk.

Hoddles Creek was planned and developed from day one, with a view to crafting an artful range of superlative Yarra Valley wines. The most arduous aspects were planted, because they offered the best promise of outstanding quality fruit. Chilly mornings, vivid afternoon sun and extended ripening, profound vintages of intensely ripened berries. Enter an exquisitely proportioned Chardonnay which captures the attention with its broad bouquet and evocative perfumes, a match to coquille st jacques, seared pesto chicken or tuna steaks under dill, champignon and creme fraiche.

The finest parcels of estate grown fruit, planted to four superior rows of Pinot Noir on the Hoddles Creek property at Gembrook. A holistic management of the vineyard is central to the realization of exceptional fruit, respect for local fauna and a focus on traditonal hands on viticulture are essential to the integrity of harvest. Rows 22 to 26 always yield something spectacular with each new vintage, the mix of Burgundian and new world clones are hand picked and separately vinified for release as an exquisite limited edition, only made in the finest vintage years.

Fruit is sourced from a single vineyard located high on the northern facing slopes of King Valley. The winemaking team taste and assess fruit as it ripens on the vine every few days, to ensure a harvest of optimal ripeness and ideal tannin. Vertically shoot positioned vines and double wire trellising permit maximum penetration of sunlight through the canopy, vital for Durif to develop fully as it requires greater sunlight than other grapes. A brave, mouth filling high country wine to accompany baked pasta, braises and grills.

There are few places on earth, so predisposed to yielding vintages of world class Shiraz. Slaughterhouse Paddock is the second oldest block of vine in all Heathcote, originally a cattle yard adjacent to the township meatworks, its soils enriched for viticulture by the passage of livestock. Hand picked whole bunches are open fermented in the traditional old world style, building sound structure and infusing splendid weight of fruit. A fleshy Terra rosa palate of intensity and concentration, preceded by peppermint and eucalypt perfumes, adorned by the dulcet vanilla sweetness of new American oak.

Single vineyard wine from the Newlans Lane block at the very heart of Heathcote, the original block of Shiraz planted to the earliest survey of red Cambrian soils, established for the historical Heathcote wineworks. The old, dry grown vines, replenished by propitious underground aquifers, are treated to just the right amount of moisture to yield harvests of impeccable quality fruit. A sensational accord of old vine Shiraz and French oak, coalesce into a seductive complexity, white pepper notes and dark fruit flowing seamlessly on the lingering mocha finish.

One of the earliest commercial winemaking operations ever established in Victoria. Heathcote Winery can also boast some of the oldest Australian plantings of Viognier. The winery building dates back to 1854 when it serviced miners seeking their fortune in the heady days of the Victorian gold rush. Shiraz with a splash of Viognier is predominantly sourced from estate vineyards on the periphery of Heathcote township, harvested just when the chunky tannins, cherry acids, natural grape sugars and bold red Heathcote earth characters are at their peak.

There's no hiding the provenance of a blush coloured wine from Heathcote, this is full bodied Rosé with serious weight on the palate and ribald richness of flavour, seldom seen in a comely, candy hued wine. Full of strawberries and tangy Frais de bois, turkish delights and ripe summer fruit, great length of flavour and a revitalizingly fresh finish. Its adults only savouryness makes Mail Coach the perfect lipstick drink to enjoy chilled, right now alongside cheesy nibbles, salmon escalopes, proscuito and figs or just about any pink fare.

Not many country towns can boast a winery on the main street, but at Heathcote it's a part of the scenery. Heathcote is renowned throughout the world for producing much of Australia's finest Shiraz. Enter the Cravens Place, an elegant effort, stylish and quintessentially Heathcote. Sourced principally from sites at the warmer, northern periphery of Heathcote township, Craven's Place is fashioned to be a supple, bright and approachable wine. Ageing in choice oak barriques contributes to the complexity and allows the quality of Shiraz to realize its full potential.

Financial powerhouses Robert Kirby and Louis Bialkower collaborate with winemaking superstars Larry McKenna and Tod Dexter, to work on a selection of Heathcote's most spectacular parcels of Shiraz. The Messrs Kirby and Bialkower are fascinated by fine wine, especially the soft and medium bodied styles of French. What distinguishes Heathcote Estate Shiraz stylistically, are the techniques of vinification borrowed from the old world methods of Burgundy, open top ferments, whole bunch inclusion and hand plunging.

A Shiraz of power and elegance, Heathcote Estate claimed a significant gold medal at the prestigious London International. Inspired by the amazing depth and character of Terra Rosa Shiraz, the Bialkower and Kirby families determined the most idyllic location to propogate vines for an ultra premium Shiraz to rival Australia's finest. The shared vision of excellence is reflected by a single minded focus towards quality across all parts of the process. A superlative effort by one of Australia's great winemaking collaborations, the Messrs Dexter and McKenna.

The ultimate excellence of wine is the only priority at Heathcote Estate and no expenses are spared, only the most outstanding quality fruit is ever considered. A sublime bottling of the swarthiest juices, pressed from the fermented musts of the most exquisite parcels Shiraz, grown to the most exceptional terroirs, a single, superior planting of vine along Drummonds Lane at Heathcote. A year's maturation in the pick of luxury French oak puncheons, achieves a alluringly perfumed wine of jet black fruit flavours over an elegant carriage of polished, rosewood tannins.

The artisanal approach employed by Heathcote Estate induced winemaking maestros Todd Dexter and Larry McKenna to join founders Robert and Mem Kirby. Together, they realize an uncompromising pursuit of assembling the finest growths of Australian wine. Block F is an exceptionally detailed, single site Shiraz, from an elite parcel of vine, planted to a north facing slope of ancient, green Cambrian shards along Drummonds Lane. Its tightly packed, gunflint and graphite rich, savoury tannins in support of a broad spectrum of vibrant fruit flavours.

What defines Heathcote Estate Shiraz stylistically, is the sterling excellence of fruit, as treated to the old world vinification techniques which emulate the great growths of Burgundy and the Medoc. The intensely concentrated grapes of Block C are all hand picked and gently destemmed into traditional open top fermenters, a measure of whole bunches added for tannin richness. Hand plunged and pressed into 500 litre French oak puncheons for completion of malolactic and a term of age, its opulent, expansive palate, brimming with black fruits, milled spice and ripe, fleshy plum.

From a legendery Yarra Valley vineyard at Hoddles Creek, planted to a sorely challenging 32 degrees slope, a full hundred metres drop from top to bottom. Bastard Hill is a single block of exceptional vines, yielding a vigorous grapefruit nectarine style of Chardonnay, treated to the richness of wild indigenous yeast oak barrel ferments. An opulent, lees textural, big butternut palate, redolent of orchard fruits, honeycomb and brioche, mouthfilling and complex, layered with character and soundly structured, the Chardonnay of choice to accompany truffled squab or glazed crackling pork.