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Andrew Nugent grew up next door to the great historical wineworks at Penfolds Magill. He honed his craft as viticulturalist and vigneron amongst the illustrious wineries of old McLaren Vale. In the 1990s, Nugent planted new vines at Woodside along Bird In Hand Road, on the site of an ancient gold mine, a godsend of fortuitously fertile soils and magnificent mesoclimes for stellar quality Adelaide Hills wine. Bird In Hand have since amassed a breathtaking tally of international accolades for the unrivalled excellence of their superlative vintages, wonderfully small batch releases, with the magnificence of structure, seamlessness and immaculacy of fruit, to enthuse curio and cognescenti alike... Vivid vintages from the tailings of adelaide hills»

Heggies Vineyard Viognier CONFIRM VINTAGE

Heggies Vineyard Viognier - Buy
Viognier Eden Valley South Australia
Heggies have broken much ground with Viognier. A sumptuous wine full of delightful fragrances and exemplary balance between influences of terroir and good varietal fruit. A wine of full flavour and body with excellent length, perfect for accompanying a wide range of foods, especially grills and Asian cuisines.
Heggies is a very challenging Vineyard to manage but the site yields exceptional quality Viognier. Good rains at the beginning of the growing season augured well for vintage. By mid January the skies had cleared, and no subsequent rain combined with balmy temperatures for the remainder of the season meant that flavours ripened during a long even late summer and early autumn. After being hand harvested and whole bunch pressed, the juice was then barrels fermented by native or wild yeasts. These yeasts, along with the lees stirring, have given the wine wonderful depth with final selection. Fermented and matured nine months in a selection of older, prior use French oak hogsheads and barriques. Alcohol 14.5%
A pale straw colour with green tints. The nose is deliciously intense with the typical stone fruit flavours of Viognier, reminiscent of white fleshed peaches and apricots. The palate is round and luscious with the distinctive Heggies Vineyard mineral texture. A relaxed and refreshing wine with a myriad flavours, it's a tad more steely and aromatic than most.
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Heggies

The concept of terroir is the best way to describe the combination of elements that creates the distinctive flavour profiles of Heggies Vineyard wines. Unpredictable and at times downright frustrating is an apt description for this unique Eden Valley Vineyard. At 550 metres above sea level, Heggies is one of Australia's highest altitude vineyards and also one of its coolest.

Heggies

The magnificent sweep of country that is the Heggies Vineyard had been grazing land for most of its settled history and was owned by local grazier and bushman, Colin Heggie, before being purchased by Wyndham Hill Smith, then co-proprietor of the Yalumba Wine Company.

Friends since school days, Colin and Wyndham's friendship continued into adulthood and throughout their lengthy negotiation over the purchase of Heggie's land - a negotiation that was, it has been suggested, not much more than an excuse for relaxed chats. Planting began in 1971 on the tough North Eastern corner of the property and the first wine was released in 1979. It was the first wine to bear the idiosyncratic label that features a drawing of Colin Heggie, the bushman, looking out over the fledgling Heggies plantings astride his faithful chestnut, Jack.

At Heggies Vineyard, the close-planted clonally-selected grafted vines are grown in semi-drought conditions. The soil is lean and hungry - a thin layer of grey sandy loam over clay and decomposed rock - and the vines compete vigorously for moisture and nutrient. This competition encourages the vines' roots to dig deep into the soil where it is moist and cool throughout all seasons.

Heggies

For such a unique vineyard - standard vineyard management at Heggies is impossible. Each grape variety has its own programme of care according to its position in the vineyard. Trellising and canopy structure is varied from vine to vine, as are pruning regimes and row spacings. Working with the natural advantage rather than against it is the driving force in working the vineyard and every factor is taken into consideration, including the micro-climates within the vineyard, aspect and soil type.

The main advantage of the tailored vineyard management is the flexibility it affords. Staggered maturity times for the grapes allow some breathing space to give each variety the specialised attention required during harvest and throughout the early winemaking stages - the only way of ensuring each wine is able to develop its own character and personality.

Trial and experimentation is an important part of life at Heggies Vineyard. Winemaker Peter Gambetta has introduced a number of innovative winemaking practices to Heggies Vineyard, including the use of naturally occurring wild yeast ferments and strictly controlled oak influence in the oaked wines. The innovation will continue through Heggies passionate philosophy in success and knowledge through experimentation and persistence.

"It's a tremendously challenging vineyard and not an easy one to manage", says winemaker Peter Gambetta. "Each variety has its own programme of care according to its position in the vineyard. Working with the natural surroundings rather than against them is the driving force, with every factor taken into consideration, to try and capture the flavour and balance of the grapes in their purest essence."

Heggies