2021 – More than any other player, Condie Estate represents the recent evolution and bright future of Heathcote wine.  It has been quite the ride watching Richie Condie’s journey these last five or six years.  His wines have always been excellent, but most recently, they are pointing toward a new direction for Heathcote.  At their best, Heathcote wines offer a rare and unique marriage of power and restraint.  With his increasing focus on the restraint side of that equation, Richie Condie is uncovering an elegance in Heathcote Shiraz heretofore unseen (my wine notes for the 2018 Max Shiraz read: “Wow.  Just wow.  You sense the volcanic power beneath, but this wine is all Swan Lake across the palate.” And it’s not just Shiraz – Condie is doing something special with Sangiovese as well, that is uncovering at long last this legendary Italian varietal’s true potential in Australian soils. If you are passionate about Australian wine, it would be a sin not to visit Condie Estate.

2019 – It’s hard not to love Condie Estate.  Owner and winemaker Richard Condie is a one-man-army of winemaking passion and dedication.  He’s as nice as they come and excited to share his passion and wine progeny with enthusiasts.  Condie is up to 20 acres and currently produces 30 tonnes.  Plantings include Viognier, Sangiovese, and Shiraz.  Richie is currently experimenting with Nero d’Avola, so we may see some of that in a few years’ time.  Shiraz has always been a brilliant varietal for Condie with every vintage thus far reliably great.  Recently (and we haven’t tried older vintages), the Viognier has been similarly outstanding. Richie will be probably the best person you meet in Heathcote (and he can point you in some very good directions for other finds) and his wines will be some of the best you try.