Feathered Friends

Shiraz Cabernet 2017

An undeniably powerful wine, born from Heathcote’s ancient Cambrian soils
Feathered Friends is a collaboration between David Anderson of Wild Duck Creek and Ian Rathjen of Whistling Eagle - both fantastic producers
Region: Heathcote, Victoria
Varietals: Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
Colour: Deep, dark red
Nose: Intense aromas of blueberry, dark chocolate, cola and sweet spice
Palate: Flavours of blue and black berries, dense fruit cake fill your palate. Dense yet supple tannins hold this wine together along with bright natural acidity, giving the wine a clean and very long finish.
The region: Heathcote is situated about 100 km north of Melbourne in Central Victoria at altitudes between 160-
380 metres. This is classic rolling Australian countryside punctuated by eucalypts and rounded hills. The defining feature of the region is the ‘Heathcote red snake’ a strip of ancient, deep, red Cambrian soils with good water holding capacity, imparting a distinct and unique flavour profile to Shiraz, the superstar of the region. The region is warm and strongly continental with low rainfall, but enjoys an even temperature range during ripening. Founded in the 1850’s Heathcote was originally a gold rush town. Vines were planted in the 1860’s, but were subsequently decimated by phylloxera with modern day plantings only re-established during the 1960’s. Although best known for its rich tannic powerful Shiraz, Heathcote also produces a wide range of varieties including Riesling, Chardonnay and Viognier alongside the Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
"This is instantly appealing on the nose showing blackberry, Black Doris plum, cake spice and roasted nut aromas, followed by a wonderfully weighted palate that’s plump and succulent. It’s upfront and flavoursome with plenty of delectable flavours." 93 points, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit (November 2019).