Whoa. The Heartland Stickleback Red is killer, and a great value at about $20 at Firefly. We had Heartland's Shiraz last weekend in Whistler, and it was so good that I picked up whatever Firely carried. A blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dolcetto and Lagrein, this is our new go-to winter wine.
The Stickleback's vineyards are in Langhorne Creek which, owing to the influence of the Southern Ocean, is a cooler part of Australia. The Shiraz and Cab really sing in the blend, with juicy black fruit like blackberry, cassis and blueberry jumping out with lots of smoky, peppery goodness going on here too. Man, oh man. The Lagrein, an oddball little Italian grape from Northern Italy, adds tannin and colour. Not that the tannins are overwhelming, they're actually really well integrated, and the overall the Stickleback Red is very well balanced, especially for being so affordable. Dolcetto "the little sweet one" is another surprise in here. But then there are some interesting blends coming out of Langhorne (see the white blend from Langhorne that we chose for our wedding here) that are great to share with that friend who's had everything. So maybe I should stop acting so surprised.
I'm looking forward to trying every other Heartland wine carried in BC, and have high hopes that they will join D'Arenberg in my stable of I-love-everything-you-produce Aussie wineries.
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