Helen's Hill Estate Single Vineyard Cabernets 2008

Helen's Hill is a 150 acre property in Coldstream with some of the finest views of the Yarra Valley. The Single Vineyard Cabernets is a classic Bordeaux blend of approximately 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 12% Cab Franc, 7% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. 

Planted at the top of the Coldstream vineyard on rocky terrain, the Cabernet vines grow where there was once an apple orchard. The rocky terrain provides a tough home for the vines and a unique minerality to the soil that comes through in the fruit they produce. This block is known for producing low-yielding crops of great intensity.

"An unusually full-bodied Bordeaux blend by Yarra Valley standards, yet the depths of the black fruits are not heavy, and the tannins are precisely structured and balanced. This is a certain 40+ year cellar proposition."  James Halliday 

"Deep ruby red. Dark berry fruits and spicy cloves on the nose. Blackberries, dark plums, chocolate and cloves, smooth tannins and a rich palate weight. All fruit is grown on our single vineyard site and hand picked at harvest to ensure that all fruit is picked at optimal ripeness. The fruit is de-stemmed and crushed into our open-top fermenters to undergo primary fermentation. (approximately 6-8 days) The juice then spends up to 6 weeks in the fermenters going through post-ferment maceration to extract maximum color and tannins from skins.

After fermentation is complete, the skins are pressed off and the juice settled in tank for 48 hours. The juice is then "racked” off to French Oak barrels (50% New, 50% old) for full malolactic fermentation which takes approximately 4 months. After malo fermentation is complete the wine is 'racked' to tank, the barrels are cleaned and the wine is returned to the same barrels for final barrel maturation (18 months). Wine is aged in barrel and bottle for a total period of 4 years before release."  Helen's Hill

Expert reviews

"Deep, dense red-purple; a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot; an unusually full-bodied Bordeaux blend by Yarra Valley standards, yet the depths of the black fruits are not heavy, and the tannins are precisely structured and balanced. This is a certain 40+ year cellar proposition. 13.8% alc. Drink 2050."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points and Special Value Wine  ★  

Awards

Special Value Wine – Halliday Wine Companion  ★ 

About the winery

In 1997, the Nalder and McIntosh families purchased a 150 acre property in Coldstream with some of the finest views of the Yarra Valley and replanted the existing orchard as a vineyard. Today 110 acres are under vine.

The story of Helen's Hill began long before a vine was ever planted in Coldstream. It's a story of two families with a shared love of farming and wine. Having been dragged away from the land to careers in medicine and finance, they always yearned to return to a life they loved. So when they inspected a property now known as Helen's Hill Estate in 1996, they decided it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

The former owner John Frazer, a businessman working in Collins Street, proposed marriage in the 1950s to a young lady by the name of Helen. Helen agreed but on one condition; John had to buy a farm as Helen longed for a life on the land. John bought land in the Yarra Valley and the couple lived on the farm and started a family. Tragically, Helen was diagnosed with cancer and passed away, leaving John and two very young children to carry on. While showing Alan Nalder and Andrew McIntosh around the estate some 40 years later, John recalled a number of incidents – "this is where Helen bogged the tractor", "this is where Helen planted our first apple tree" and "this is where Helen…" At the completion of the inspection when they were standing atop the highest hill enjoying the views of the Yarra Valley, John recalled that in her last weeks Helen would love nothing more than to sit on this hill and look out over the sweeping farmland. He said, "This was Helen's Hill."

The new owners had a Helen in the family too, so the name 'Helen's Hill' seemed like the perfect name for their vineyard and winery.

Helen's Hill specialize in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 65 acres of pinot noir are planted to MV6, 114, 115 and a Pommard clone, while 16 acres of chardonnay are planted to PEN58, P76 and Mendoza clones. In addition, there are smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. The vineyard has a number of hills running through the property with different soil types and micro climates, which allow the different grape varieties to flourish.

"It's no coincidence we are where we are. We scoured Coldstream in the Yarra Valley to find the perfect site. We were looking for three things - hills, microclimates and the iconic Yarra Valley soil.

The combination of these three factors is why we chose Helen's Hill to put down our roots, as we knew this climate would make our wines truly interesting and unique to others in the region. To this day, these factors define us and the wines we produce.

The French call it terroir. We call it Helen's Hill."  Helen's Hill