The producer
Jasper Hill was established in 1982, by former food scientist Ron Laughton, and his wife Elva, and ever since then has been a small family business. The estate’s two single vineyards are named after daughters Emily and Georgia, who are both involved in the business. Today the Laughtons own 20 hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards, all planted on their own roots. Jasper Hill produces six wines from three individual vineyards, the flagships of which are the Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz and Emily’s Paddock Shiraz/Cabernet Franc.
The wine
Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz is one of Jasper Hill’s two famous Heathcote single vineyards. 12 hectares of biodynamically grown un-grafted Shiraz vines lie on an elevated hillside at altitudes of 320 meters above sea-level, with north-western exposure. The vines were planted in 1975 and soils are classically deep rusty-red gravelly loams. The first vintage of Georgia’s Paddock was made in 1982, and the wine is deeply concentrated with black and blue fruit intensity, floral and spice complexity, chewy ripe tannins, and a very long juicy finish.
