Winery & Vintage Info
The Heartland story began in the late 1990’s when iconic winemaker Ben Glaetzer became excited about the outstanding quality of fruit being grown in some of South Australia’s lesser-known regions, in particular Langhorne Creek. This cool climate region with its old vines has been a source for many of Australia’s most iconic red wines and Heartland sources all of its fruit exclusively from the region making only red wines. The 2018 Heartland Directors Cut Shiraz is the epitome of classic Langhorne creek winemaking.
Ben Glaetzer, together with industry veterans, Scott Collett, Grant Tilbrook and more recently Nick Keukenmeester, makes Heartland Wines at Barossa Vintners in Tanunda, South Australia some 100 kilometres from Langhorne Creek. Some people are surprised by this but to us this is not just natural; it is the best possible solution. At Barossa Vintners, with all the conceivable equipment and resources he needs to create the wines he wants, Ben is in his milieu so this is where Heartland wines are made.
Ben says; “A really important point I want to get across is we’re not a group of investors that have got together and poured cash into it for the sake of doing it. We are at the coalface of it.”
Heartland is about consistently achieving the best flavour possible in the vineyard, and converting this natural flavour into outstanding wines. Access to great fruit is the most vital element in making great wine. Langhorne Creek has given them this element.
The 2018 vintage had steady winter rainfall and multiple flood events gave us a good storage of moisture and healthy vines leading into the growing season. Higher than average summer temperatures have offered up robust fruit characters that Shiraz loves to present.
