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Heirloom Vineyards were born of love. A romance between an esteemed wine judge and his protege, consumated by a shared passion to preserve the integrity of venerable old vineyards. A deference for the sanctity of the soil and adherence to the timeless procedures of organic viticulture, were an integral part of the vision. Their parching quest, to secure some grand old blocks of vine in the elder precincts of Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra, Barossa and Valley Eden, were followed by years of corrective husbandry, pencil label releases and bespoke vintages. The fostered old vines have now been resurrected, yielding treasured harvests of the most sublime new world wine. Recipients of prestigious Platinum Award & Best Shiraz Trophy Sommelier International, Double Gold China Wine & Spirit, Gold USA and San Francisco International, Adelaide Hills Chardonnay of Year and Best Barossa Wine of Show, the fruit of prodigal sites has been rejuvenated, to a measure of merit that's cherished throughout the world of inestimable, old vineyard wines... Serenading sleeping vineyards to life»

Water Wheel Cabernet Sauvignon CONFIRM VINTAGE

Cabernet Sauvignon Bendigo Victoria
The parched, sun exposed vines at Water Wheel are only a slight distance from the shade of giant river gums, which grow along the banks of Loddon River. Ancient eucalypts infuse the grapes with a treasure trove of complex, elegant flavours. A salient Bendigo Cabernet that's warming and generous with intense flavours and long, drying tannins, ideally suited to meat braises and grills, steak and kidney pie or venison bangers.
Available by the dozen
Case of 12
$215.00
The proprietors of Water Wheel have farmed locally for many years and place a strong emphasis on sustainable horticulture and vineyard management. Vines are planted to heavy clay soils interspersed by pieces of limestone. Hedge trellising exposes grapes to the sun for maximum ripeness. All vines are irrigated from the nearby Loddon river with ground level mini sprays, all cropped at three tonne per acre. Cabernet Sauvignon is vinified in open fermenters at 20C to 22C, the cap pumped over, plunged and pressed at dryness. Water Wheel has been aged in a combination of new and seasoned, mostly American oak hogsheads, crafted by prestigious European cooperages.
Deep ruby colour. Cassis and regional menthol aromas on the bouquet. Rich, forward drinking fruit characters, complex with savoury ripe berry fruit and cedar oak, lifted by hints of cloves and cinnamon, cherries and mulberry. Full bodied and complex with silky velvet tannins before a long and persistent, satisfying finish.
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Water Wheel
Water Wheel Vineyards is owned by the Cumming family who have farmed in the Bendigo region for fifty years

The history of the estate vineyards date back to 1833 when John Catto left his native Scotland to seek his fortune in the new colony of Australia. He settled near what would become Bendigo, calling his new home Memsie after the village from where he had come. John Catto planted his Memsie vineyard on clay soils, rich with limestones. The historic Memsie vineyard now produces delicious and well rounded, full flavoured Water Wheel wines.

Water Wheel

Ron and Peter Cumming have a strong background in horticulture and place a strong emphasis on vineyard management. In 1989 the Cumming family purchased the winery, and the surrounding twenty acres of vines. Since then, three new vineyards have been planted at Bridgewater on Loddon to help enhance the complexity and improve the overall wine quality. Total plantings now exceed three hundred acres, and a recent initiative to reduce the levels of cropping to three tonnes has seen a vast improvement in all the Water Wheel editions.

Average rainfall in the Bendigo Winegrowing region is 17 inches/ annum. Whilst it is possible to grow wine grapes with this rainfall, the Water Wheel winemakers believe that to do so places too much stress on the vines, the vineyard is therefore irrigated by the nearby Loddon river with ground level mini sprays. Vines are hedged trellised, exposing the grapes to the sun to achieve maximum ripeness. Red wine grapes are grown on heavy clay soil and white wine varieties are planted on lighter, better drained soil. At the winery the emphasis is on producing high quality, fruit driven wines with strong varietal definition and length on the palate.

"Some excellent values emerge from this Victoria winery. The top bargain is the brilliant blend of 86% Shiraz, 9% Malbec, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Memsie. Aged 6-9 months in old American oak, it exhibits a dark ruby/ purple color, a big, sweet perfume of blueberries and blackberries, soft, heady fruit flavors, a touch of wood, and a background earthy, spicy component. This is a wonderful source for fine wine values from the relatively cool climate Bendigo area!" -eRobertparker.com

Water Wheel

"I’m not sure why the folks at Water Wheel seem intent on making better and better wines and charging less for it, but I’m not complaining. This has mouthfilling, luscious black berries, sweet vanilla oak, spice, it presses all the right shiraz buttons!" --Max Allen. "Here we go again with one of Australia’s most consistent, under-priced reds. It’s packed with dark fruits and spice, supported by slightly toasty oak. The palate is satisfyingly rich, fresh, and very well balanced. Enjoyable now with good beef, but will age for several years with considerable grace. Highly Recommended!" -Winewise

"Bendigo-based Water Wheel is one of the few smallish producers who seem able to match it with the big wineries when it comes to offering value-for money table wines. This blend of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and malbec is far more complex than the red fruit bombs we tend to get for such a modest price. This has real complexity in the mouth and on the nose with intriguing spice, earth and savoury characters meshed together. Medium-bodied, so a good match for winter fare such as shepheard's or steak 'n' kidney pie. Bargain Buy!" -Jeff Collerson

The Weekend Australian, Australia's leading wine connoisseur chooses the year's best, Water Wheel Memsie Shiraz Cabernet Malbec 2003 "Peter Cumming has quietly and unostentatiously gone about making his reliable excellent value Water Wheel wines for 15 years. This wine has special appeal, with its powerful but restrained array of dark, black fruits, overall form structure and tannins around a core of sweetness!" -James Halliday

"A surprisingly fine white, the Chardonnay was aged in 300 liter used hogsheads, so the oak component is very subtle. Medium to full-bodied with ripe, honeyed pineapple, pear, and passion fruit characteristics, it reveals a nice texture, excellent acidity, and fine overall balance!" -Wineadvocate.com

Water Wheel