Here we have arguably the world’s most famous wine company in Moët & Chandon a million miles away from their comfort zone in Champagne, making Australia’s most revered wine variety in Heathcote, a region that has gone from being the ‘next big thing’ to just being a big thing! Guess what? It works. And boy, does it work. Despite being far removed from their spiritual France, this wine is eerily more reminiscent of a Northern Rhone Shiraz than it is of an Australian wine, and in this instance, that is a great thing.

The Chandon Heathcote Shiraz 2007 opens up with the most gorgeous, inviting nose that fills the room with acacia flowers, vanilla, spice, blackberries and cherries. It’s like smelling those fruit pastels I used to eat when I was younger (well, two weeks ago anyway). The middle weight is also un-Heathcote like but again this is a bonus as it makes this wine so gluggable. I love the ‘juicy’ nature of this but it is never extracted or overripe – it is impeccably (?????) balanced. The elegance and seriousness is always there with a great backbone of excellent oak treatment and finishes with mouth drying fine grained tannins. As a bonus, I’m happy enough to drink this excellent wine now, after a decent decant.

James Halliday is all over this rating it 96 points and describing it as “a wine that brings out all the best features of Heathcote”. It rates 93 points over at The Wine Front (nice stylish wine this one) and Jeremy Oliver also makes some reference to its old world feel describing it as “an elegant, spicy shiraz in a Cornas style with an almost exaggerated floral, musky perfume of violets, cassis and blackberries backed by aromatic, lightly smoky oak with meaty, earthy undertones and a hint of cracked pepper”.

Ordinarily such a Halliday rating alone would command large sales, I’m tipping this one will fly, not just now but following consumption.

James Halliday Wine Companion - Rating 96 Points
Date Tasted Sept 2009
Full crimson-purple; a wine that brings out all the best features of Heathcote, the fragrant aromas of cherry and spice leading into a beautifully balanced, elegant, medium-bodied palate that flows across the tongue, finishing with succulent tannins.
Screwcap
14% alc
Drink 2022