It hasn’t been active in Victorian wine for long, but family-owned newcomer Cahillton has emulated a number of its peers by announcing the completion of its new winery just in time for the 2004 harvest. The 2,000 tonne facility in Heathcote cost the company A$7 million, and its capacity can be expanded to 10,000 tonnes. Much of the capacity will be directed at contract processing, for despite the extraordinary scale of recent plantings in Heathcote, there’s a scarcity of winery facilities in the region. This facility has been carefully developed not to interfere with the region’s fragile ecological qualities. Cahillton has 64 hectares in the Yarra Valley and 70 hectares developed to date in Heathcote. Its first wines were made at the family’s Yarra property in 2002 and 2003. Best of a disappointing bunch is the herbal and meaty Shiraz 2002.
