Tellurian Wines – Five star all-rounder
Address: 408 Tranter Rd, Toolleen VIC 3551
Varieties: Riesling, Viognier, Fiano, Marsanne, Rose, Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, GSM, Nero D’Avola
Experience
Tellurian is located north of Heathcote town in Tooleen and definitely worth the trip out.
Daniel Hopkins is the man behind the brand joining his dad Ian in 2009 to launch Tellurian to the market. He is passionate about Heathcote and the wines they produce and was the man that pushed forward the idea to bring Wine Compass wine tours to the region. With his insight into the community coupled with his phenomenal wines and striking cellar door Tellurian left an impression with us.
You can expect to be taken through an extensive list of wines at the cellar door either inside their intimate tasting room or outside on the deck if there weather is pleasant. From the deck you have sweeping views across the vineyard. The team can be as in depth (or not) about the region and their style of winemaking and love it when groups hurl questions at them as there isn’s much they can’t answer.
This winery will certainly impress even the most seasoned wine tourers and it is likely you won’t leave empty handed as it will be hard to find a nicer drop then here.
Wines
The wines produced by these guys are world class with a lot of European influence. What surprised us was there extensive list of white wines as it was unexpected before visiting the region. The standout for us was the Riesling, it was superb and similar to something you might see out of Clare Valley (although we think superior). The style is fresh, crisp and mineral driven which demonstrates the influence the red Cambrian soils. It drinks perfectly now but we expect it will also develop beautifully over time in the cellar. Moving onto their reds there are more than a few to note we loved them all. The D’Avola is a great food wine and one to enjoy any day of the week but the king of the bunch for us was the Tranter Shiraz, it is elegant, velvety with intense flavour. It will cellar beautifully for 10-15 years if you can resist temptation and hold off on drinking it now (we couldn’t) of these include our absolute favourite Shiraz, a GSM, Nero D’Avolo, a superb Riesling, Marsanne and Fiano among others. There is something here for everyone and a real standout for the region.
Setting
As you head up the long driveway you instantly notice the red Cambrian soil the region is so well known for. What awaits is their impressive and striking winery and cellar door built in 2012, four years after the release of their first vintage. The winery itself is remarkable and meticulously laid out as they drew on chief winemaker Tobias Ansted’s wealth of knowledge when it was built. They would have to be the only vineyard that we know of using custom designed steel lined concrete tanks in their winemaking.
The cellar door has views out into the vineyard but if groups prefer they can take their tasting on the big deck (assuming the weather is on your side).
What we like
We love that the white wines produced here are of equal standing to the reds which tend to dominate the region. We also appreciate the friendly welcome and the knowledge imparted by Daniel as newcomers to the region.
What we don’t like
The winery itself is located 20 minutes north of Heathcote town so it’s a little bit further to get to then some of the other wineries but we guarantee it’s worth the journey.
Explore more wineries in Heathcote or return to the Heathcote Tours page.