Great Soil, Fine Wines
She-Oak Hill Vineyard is located on the western side of the Northern Highway, 5 kilometres north of Heathcote. Situated on the famed Cambrian strip, our unique deep, red clay loam soils, the gently undulating topography and the reliably warm growing season enable our grapes to express their rich fruit characters in award winning wines.
Vineyard
Planted in 1975 by Gordon Leckie senior, the next generation of the Leckie family continue to produce outstanding wine from their boutique vineyard on She-Oak Hill in the acclaimed Heathcote Wine Region.
She-Oak Hill Vineyard is located on the western side of the Northern Highway, five kilometres north of the township of Heathcote in the heart of the Heathcote Region on the narrow band of Cambrian soil renown for its production of premium fruit. The wine made from our fruit reflects both our unique terroir and the traditional viticultural practices employed
History
The vineyard was planted in the spring of 1975 by pioneering Heathcote wine grower, Gordon Leckie Senior, with the help of all members of his family. Along with Mt Ida, Huntleigh and Jasper Hill, She-Oak Hill was one of the pioneering vineyards in the region.
Gordon’s family added to the original vineyard with a further planting of Shiraz and Chardonnay in 1996. These dry grown vines have gone on to establish deep roots in the mineral rich Cambrian soil, and with extensive use of straw mulching and careful crop management, the vines produce a relatively low yield of premium fruit.
Viticulture
The vines are cane pruned by hand to retain sixteen buds per vine depending on seasonal conditions and the vigour of individual vines. The emerging shoots are positioned manually between a pair of foliage wires to to allow for maximum penetration of sunlight into the vines to promote even ripening and enhance the flavour of the fruit.
The soil is aerated and mulched to improve soil structure and significant emphasis has been put into the planting of trees indigenous to the area to provide wind breaks, reduce the impact of monoculture and to provide habitat and a corridor to the Mt Ida National Park for native birds and wildlife.
She Oak Hill Vineyard aims to utilise biological control of threats to fruit quality in preference to chemical control and looks to healthy soils, beneficial insects and canopy management as the most satisfying methods of producing premium fruit.
The grapes are hand picked at harvest with an emphasis on quality to ensure the fruit is in peak condition for delivery to the winery.
Winemaking
The wine is made at neighbouring Sanguine Estate by Mark Hunter whose commitment to labor intensive, traditional wine making techniques are in line with the philosophy behind the vineyard operations.
The Chardonnay is harvested in early March, about three weeks before the Shiraz, and the wine is fermented with the natural yeasts from the vineyard and matured in small French oak barriques for 12 months and 18 months respectively until bottling.
If the vintage has been kind to us and we have sufficient fruit a small portion is removed from its skins soon after crushing to ferment as a light and delicious Rose.
In exceptional we years commit to making a Reserve Shiraz from selected barrels of wine in collaboration with our winemaker and all members of the family.
She Oak Hill Vineyard produces approximately 500 cases of Shiraz and 120 cases of chardonnay from fruit exclusively grown at She Oak Hill.