De Bortoli Woodfired Grenache 2021 | Heathcote

Winemaking Notes

De Bortoli Woodfired Grenache 2021 is crafted by chief winemaker Steve Webber from vineyards in the northern section of Heathcote where the ancient red Cambrian soils are ideal for dark fruited, rich soft Grenache. The wine features intense medium red colour with purple edge, showcasing ripe blueberry and dark cherry characters with cedarwood and violets. The De Bortoli philosophy is that great wine begins in the vineyard and should reflect the region where the grapes are grown, involving thoughtful site selection, sustainable biological farming practices and minimal interference in the winery. In the winery, it's all about restraint, minimal interference and allowing the wine to 'make itself', with the mantra "it's harder to do nothing" expressing their approach. Steve Webber believes that to make wines of "detail, texture and minerality, charm and interest" it has to be about "site and season", with "character and personality in wine comes from the imperfections of nature". The wine displays soft, mouth coating character with balanced tannin, authentically Heathcote. Perfect to drink now but will also age well and be even more complex and delicious over the next 2-4 years.

Vintage Conditions

The 2021 vintage in Heathcote produced exceptional conditions for Grenache, resulting in wines with intense medium red colour with purple edge and ripe blueberry and dark cherry characters. The northern Heathcote vineyards benefited from ancient red Cambrian soils ideal for dark fruited, rich soft Grenache, creating perfect conditions for wine with cedarwood and violets. The 2021 vintage showcases soft, mouth coating character with balanced tannin, demonstrating the exceptional quality of this distinctive Victorian region with authentically Heathcote style. The vintage conditions created wines of detail, texture and minerality, ensuring the wine displays ripe blueberry and dark cherry characters with cedarwood and violets from ancient red Cambrian soils. The 2021 vintage represents outstanding expression of Heathcote terroir, showcasing character and personality that comes from the imperfections of nature with minimal interference winemaking. Perfect to drink now but will also age well and be even more complex and delicious over the next 2-4 years, demonstrating the philosophy that great wine reflects site and season.