Heath Southern Roo Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2002
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Winemaker Notes
Founder and former racing car driver turned wine producer, Alan Heath, purchased from his retiring next door neighbour a 100 year old dairy farm in the premium wine growing region the "Adelaide Hills" in South Australia.
Paying great attention to soil type, climate, row sizes, ripping, water quality, varieties and cloning attracted the immediate attention of Penfolds who contracted the fruit from his premium vineyard for a number of years. The purchase of the Vineyard was the start of a journey that culminated with the formation of Heath Wines in 1998.
"The Producer"
With investment from a group of prominent South Australian businessman Heath Wines was fully rolled out by late 2002. In 2005 Heath Wines will produce in excess of 50,000 cases with successful markets in Australia, Canada, Singapore, Japan, U.S.A, Ireland, Dubai, Malaysia, Indonesia, and currently developing markets in Russia, India, China, and the U.K.
"The Wine"
Alan's days as a grower taught him some valuable lessons. Sourcing of fruit is driven by the "best sub-region for each varietal" and the "best vineyard for each sub- region."
"We are committed to and focus on producing handcrafted wines with fruit driven varietal flavours, structure and balance". In keeping with our commitment to excellence, all of our wines are in screw cap to eliminate spoilage and ensure consistency and product quality.
"The Philosophy"
"You cannot compromise from the vine to the closure". Focus on over-delivering on price and quality with all brands. To produce wines that are affordable, drink well now, and will improve with cellaring. Continuously improve quality through vineyard best practices and grower involvement. To assist our World Partners to grow and develop Heath Wines brands.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
The Clare Valley is actually a series of narrow north to south valleys, each with a different soil type and slightly different weather patterns along their stretch. In the southern heartland between Watervale and Auburn, there is mainly a crumbled, red clay loam soil called terra rossa and cool breezes come in from Gulf St. Vincent. A few miles north, in Polish Hill, is soft, red loam over clay; westerlies blowing in from the Spencer Gulf influece this area's climate.
The differences in soil, elevation, degree of slope and weather enable the region to produce some of Australia’s finest, aromatic, spicy and lime-pithy Rieslings, as well as excellent Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec with ripe plummy fruit, good acid and big structure.
Clare Valley is an isolated farming country with a continental climate known for its warm and sunny days, followed by cool nights—perfect for wine grapes’ development of sugar and phenolic ripeness in conjunction with notable acidity levels.