HILL COTTAGE WINES

Black Forest - Shiraz

Our boutique vineyard (est.2001), is located at the foothills of Mt. Macedon, Victoria in the magnificent Black Forest area situated 467 metres above sea level. The vineyard boasts only 550 vines.

Baume` or alcohol content of wines in the Macedon region is lower than in most areas of Australia.  This is due to the altitude and cold climate, which ultimately makes ripening the grapes a greater challenge, in particular with younger vines. However it is the adverse conditions that provide the greatest benefit to the consumer, because the slower ripening process adds to the overall taste.

Our wine is matured in American oak barrels. Our 2005 & 2006 vintages are more full bodied than our 2004 vintage. This occurred as a natural consequence of our maturing vines, in addition to our enhanced wine making and vineyard practices.

All vintages have been hand plunged through fermentation, to extract all possible aromas and tannins from the grape skins. We take pride in the fact that only organic sprays are used in our vineyard. We have used minimum amounts of potassium metabisulphite (additive 220) prior to bottling,

We trust you will enjoy our current vintage, and as always your comments are considered and appreciated.

Robert Stibbard
Winemaker