2017 Seppelt Chalambar Grampians Heathcote Shiraz; 2017 Seppelt Mount Ida Heathcote Shiraz; 2017 Seppelt St Peters Grampians Shiraz

One of the strengths of the brand lies in the very substantial vineyards that have been added to rather than sold.

2017 Seppelt Chalambar Grampians Heathcote Shiraz; 2017 Seppelt Mount Ida Heathcote Shiraz; 2017 Seppelt St Peters Grampians Shiraz

The gold rush of the 1850s created so many true stories that fiction was rendered redundant. Australia, and in particular Victoria, became a human soup of people: immigrants from countries from China to Scotland, high born and convicts, young and old, some swept into this seething mass of people without any Plan A, let alone a Plan B.

So it’s no surprise that in 1853, 20-year-old Anne Marie Blampied and her 15-year-old brother Emile should have joined the tide, run away from their home in Lorraine, France, and made their way to Beechworth. Here Anne Marie met and married Jean Pierre Trouette, also French.

The trio moved to Great Western and planted a vineyard and market garden in 1858. Four years later brothers Joseph and Henry Best moved to nearby Ararat, opening a butcher shop and also planting vines. When the gold ran out, Joseph employed out-of-work miners to tunnel through the decomposed granite under his winery.

When Joseph died intestate in 1887, entrepreneur Hans Irvine acquired the business and began expanding the vineyards. In 1892 he built new cellars which, coupled with the 1.7km drives, had a capacity of 1.35 million litres. In 1912 Benno Seppelt exercised an option to buy the business, and one of Australia’s great winemakers, Colin Preece, came on board for 31 years following his appointment in 1932.

One of the strengths of the brand lies in the very substantial vineyards that have been added to rather than sold. Those vineyards extend all the way to Drumborg and back to Heathcote, but for my money the Grampians has the most underrated terroir in south-east Australia. Another strength is that it has been blessed with some highly skilled and motivated winemakers, Adam Carnaby the most recent, with experience across both Australia and overseas.

2017 Seppelt Chalambar Grampians Heathcote Shiraz Destemmed, not crushed; matured in 225l French barriques and 3000l French vats (15% new) for 12 months. Handsomely overdelivers, with a supple medium-bodied palate of berries and plums given shape by superfine yet intense tannins. Great bargain. 13.5% alc; screwcap 96 points; drink to 2032; $27

2017 Seppelt Mount Ida Heathcote Shiraz From one of the oldest vineyards in Heathcote. Small batch vinification, including extended maceration on skins and maturation in new and used French barriques. A delicious wine with great mouthfeel and balance. Blackberry and raspberry fruits are gently held in the embrace of fine tannins and quality French oak. 13.5% alc, screwcap 95 points, drink to 2037, $55

2017 Seppelt St Peters Grampians Shiraz A mix of whole bunch and whole berry, open-fermented and hand-plunged, matured in French oak of various sizes. The mix of silk and satin provides exceptional texture, black fruits dominant, the length excellent, the balance perfect. 13.5% alc, screwcap 96 points, drink to 2047, $80