ABOUT
The history of Heidenreich
The name Heidenreich is synonomous with grape growing and winemaking in the Barossa Valley. In 1866 my great great grandfather Georg Adam Heidenreich, a Lutheran Minister was sent from Hamburg to the parish of Bethany in the Barossa Valley where he served for 44 years. The first Heidenreich vineyard was planted in Vine Vale by my grandfather Rufus Armein Heidenreich in 1936.
These vineyards are still in production, and still owned and managed by the Heidenreich family.
Liz Heidenreich red wines are made from the family owned, old vines in the Barossa Valley, while my other great passion, Riesling comes from the Clare Valley – subregion Watervale.
As children we helped handpick fruit during harvest season, which should have been a handy picking gang, but we used to muck around.
Winemaker
Liz Heidenreich
After school I completed hospital training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and became a registered nurse. After a career spanning 15 years as an Intensive Care Nurse, I decided to follow in the heritage of my family and commence a career in winemaking, I returned to university and studied a Post Graduate Winemaking degree at The University of Adelaide.
I have done vintages at Wirra Wirra, Wolf Blass, 4 vintages in Portugal in Esporao and Adega do Cantor – Cliff Richards Winery, then worked for Sevenhill for many years before launching my own range of wines. After working in many different winemaking regions, the two regions I call home are the Barossa Valley and the Clare Valley.
I have completed the Australian Wine Research Institute Advanced Sensory Assessment course which is a requirement for show judging. I have been a show judge since 2008 and have judged at many state and regional shows including the Royal Adelaide Wine Show, the Barossa Wine Show, the Clare Valley Wine show, Limestone Coast wine show, Hyatt Advertiser wine awards. I have been doing wine making consulting since 2019 and have taken on the project of building Peter Teakles Winery in Port Lincoln and have been making wine for Peter since mid 2019.
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Whats News?
2019 Riesling. James Halliday- 96 Points
The 2019 Vintage in the Clare Valley was exceptional, with a fairly moderate reopening season for the whites. This retained the freshness and natural acidity that gives Riesling its beautiful varietal character and flavour. When I made this wine, from the vineyard, to pressing the fruit and then finally fermentation, the flavour was intense and
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Vintage 2020
Vintage is now complete and as was the case in most Australian regions, yield was incredibly low. The wine that fared the best in this area is the old bush vine Barossa Grenache. The age of these vines, and the fact that they have only ever been watered from the sky, means they are seasoned
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Which styles of wine do I love right now?
I have always loved making and drinking Grenache. It’s been fantastic to see the popularity of the variety return, and some great medals and wine show awards have gone to Grenache of late. It is a very approachable drink and is suited to many styles of cuisine. The variety is honest, rustic and incredibly interesting.
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Media
Media Links
PETER TEAKLE WINES
peterteaklewines.com/news/2018/11/29/liz-oleary-joins-peter-teakle-wines
SWANBOURNE CELLARS
swanbournecellars.com.au/winederful-chat-liz-heidenreich-clare-valley
PORT LINCOLN TIMES
portlincolntimes.com.au/story/6638050/boost-to-ep-wine-region
MEDIA
Awards and Accolades
2019 CLARE VALLEY WATERVALE RIESLING
JAMES HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION – 96 POINTS.
The yields were very low across the Clare Valley in ’19, but the quality was very high. This wine achieves the difficulty of dealing with flavours going OTT without losing the brightness and freshness the palate displays. It’s lemon/lime/green apple sorbet all in one mouthful. Acidity of 7.5g/l and a pH of 2.88 are the indicia of a high quality riesling wherever it may be grown.
2018 CLARE VALLEY WATERVALE RIESLING
JAMES HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION – 94 POINTS.
In the context of ’18, this is a particularly good wine. There is clarity to the citrus expression of Meyer lemon and kaffir lime supported by acidity that has its own flavour and texture.
MIKE BENNIE – THE WINE FRONT – 94 POINTS.
It’s laser-like and refreshing, zesty and pure, an energetic, steel-doused-in-lemon-juice kind of feel. Perfume is evocatively floral and citrusy in equal measure, and, again, a steely note shimmers in the bouquet. The finish is long, squeaky and high-acid mouth-watering to seal the deal. No hair out of place. Right on.
2016 BAROSSA VALLEY GRENACHE
JAMES HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION – 92 POINTS.
Excellent colour/retention of hue; this has ‘leave me in the cellar’ stamped in large letters around the next of the bottle. It is very pure and fresh, yet also closed. You know there’s more to be revealed in time.
2016 BAROSSA VALLEY SHIRAZ
MIKE BENNIE – THE WINE FRONT – 93 POINTS.
More medium weight than full with shapely tannins, powdery spice, strong but relatively judicious oak seasoning and a dense but fresh wall of forest berry and mocha flavours. The wine opens with strong scents of black cherries, ripe plum, char and sweet spice-spiked-game meat, while the palate rolls on sweeter fruit it has good shape and chew from those gritty ropes of long tannins. The finish is lightly palate staining and lifts up on tangy acidity, closing the wine well. It still throws a clean, firm, right hook from in close, but balance is gained swiftly. Nice drinking here, and prudent to get in on the ground floor with this range.
2016 NURSE BETTY GRENACHE ROSE
JAMES HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION – 90 POINTS.
Pale lipstick pink; walked the tightrope very well, dry and crisp yet long and fruity, watermelon with a squeeze of lemon.