Freeman Shiraz Altura Vineyard Hilltops 2023

Freeman Vineyards is a boutique family-owned winery in the Hilltops region of New South Wales, renowned for its Italian-inspired wines and pioneering spirit. Founded in 1999 by Dr. Brian Freeman, a former head of wine science at Charles Sturt University. Brian transitioned from academia to winemaking, bringing deep viticultural expertise to the Hilltops region. Situated in Prunevale, Hilltops, at 560 metres above sea level, the vineyard benefits from cool nights and sunny days during ripening, deep granite soils mixed with red silt, sand from central Australia and well-drained terrain, ideal for growing high-quality grapes.

Freeman Vineyards is Australia’s only producer of the northern Italian grape varieties Rondinella and Corvina, used in their flagship Secco. Other Italian varietals include Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Aleatico, Prosecco, Fiano, Pinot Grigio, and an obscure varietal for Australia, Furmint. Their priority is well crafted wines with a focus on textural complexity, balance, and food-friendliness.

One variety that is synonymous with the Hilltops terroir is shiraz – the classic Australian red grape that thrives in a continental climate, where warm days and cool nights are integral to cultivating balance and complexity. The Altura Vineyard encompasses a block of over 50-year-old shiraz vines, now showing that vine maturity contributes to exceptional intensity and balance when blended with more recent plantings. Selected parcels are chosen to craft this complete and complex estate wine hallmarked by its Hilltops origins.

The 2023 season nurtured fully ripe flavour-packed grapes picked in late March.

The Wine Companion

Freeman Shiraz Altura Vineyard Hilltops 2022 – 91 / 100 Points

Flecks of pepper and cardamon infuse the fruit flavours of plums and cherries. It’s tangy and juicy, soft and fleshy with grainy tannins and a ‘drink me now’ attitude. Don’t wait.

– Jane Faulkner