May 28th, 2023Wine notes with Clive Hartley

All points of the compass: Living in the Central Highlands of Victoria is like being in the centre of the universe. Well, in wine terms that is. Because at every point of the compass you can drive to a different wine region that offers you a diverse and interesting day out experience.
Travel an hour north and you can visit Bendigo. Here the climate is
considerably warmer and is ideal for producing cabernet sauvignon and shiraz.
Towards the north-east we have Heathcote. The rich, deep Cambrian soils
provide the foundation for delicious reds. These igneous soils were forced to the
surface by two fault lines that run through the region. The epicentre of the region
is just north of the township, and include classic producers such as Jasper Hill,
Munari, Sanguine Estate, Vinea Marson and Paul Osicka.
Staying more local, and lying directly east, we have the golden triangle of
vineyards around Lancefield, Kyneton and Mt Macedon. The cool climate dictates
that sparkling wines, pinot noir and chardonnay are the most commonly planted
varieties. Internationally renowned Bindi and Curly Flat make some of Australia’s
best wines. Hanging Rock ‘Macedon’ sparkling is superb. Other gems are Granite
Hills Riesling, Lyons Will Estate Gamay and Cobaw Ridge Lagrein.
In the south-east there is the tiny region of Sunbury and the renowned Craiglee
vineyard, a quiet achiever if ever there was one. Its medium-bodied, elegant shiraz
is listed on the Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine. Appointments only.
Driving directly south, and you pass through parts of the Ballarat region where
Eastern Peake reigns, before coming down to Geelong. You first hit the warmer
Moorabool Valley before ending up on the Bellarine Peninsula. The valley has
Bannockburn, Austin’s, Lethbridge and Clyde Park cellar doors. On the cooler
Peninsula there is Scotchmans Hill and Banks Road which both offer excellent
choices for lunch. Pinot noir features in both sub-regions. The peninsula wines are
lighter and more focused on red fruits, while the warmer Moorabool Valley has
more earthier, darker fruit-focused wines.
Turning west and north-west you enter the Pyrenees above Avoca, where more
full-bodied reds take over, namely cabernet sauvignon and shiraz. Top cellar doors
include: Redbank, Summerfield, Dalwhinnie and Taltarni. It is not much further to
reach Best’s Wines at Great Western. I might leave that one for another day.
Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. His Australian
Wine Guide (7th ed) is available for purchase – www.australianwineguide.com.au