Jasper Hill and its two flagship wines, Emily's Paddock and Georgia's Paddock, named after the two daughters of winemaker Ron Laughton, are real icons of Australian Shiraz. Jasper Hill is the pre-eminent winery in the Heathcote area, and these two vineyards sit on this strip of red gravelly clay, formed from 500 million year old basaltic rock. These two vineyards of 45 year old vines, planted on their own roots, have never seen any chemicals, are not irrigated, and have very low yields, three tonnes per hectare in the case of Georgia's Paddock. Emily's Paddock is the more expensive of the two, which is simply a function of its lower volume. It tends to have a very savoury, leathery character, whereas Georgia's Paddock is driven by its red fruit character.
Is this the old Cambrian soil on the back of the bottle?
The 2010 Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock shows the trademark redcurrant fruit, added to by cranberry, black olive flavours, and a hint of eucalypt. As a 10 year old wine, secondary flavours of wet earth are strong. This is a full-bodied wine, powerful, but with some elegance and purity on the palate. The tannins are firm. The wine is slightly hot on the back palate. The finish is smooth and long.
This wine still has a balanced structure. It is drinking at its peak now and is a good example of a well-made full-bodied Australian Shiraz.
Score: 94/++
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