Heathcote Estate
	Level 1, 500 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Vic 3141 (postal)
	Heathcote
	(03) 9667 6541
	www.yabbylake.com
	Tom Carson, Chris Forge
	1988
	6000
	34 ha

Heathcote Estate is a thoroughly professional venture, a partnership between Louis Bialkower, founder of Yarra Ridge, and Robert G. Kirby, owner of Yabby Lake Vineyards, Director of Escarpment Vineyards (NZ) and Chairman of Village Roadshow Ltd. They purchased a prime piece of Heathcote red Cambrian soil in 1999, planting shiraz (30 ha) and grenache (4 ha), the latter an interesting variant on viognier. The wines are matured exclusively in French oak (50% new). The arrival of the hugely talented Tom Carson as Group Winemaker can only add lustre to the winery and its wines. The rating is solely for the shiraz. Exports to the US, the UK, Canada, Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong and China.