Getting to Know Sister's Run and Heirloom Vineyards
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Recently, I got the chance to sit down to a full lineup from Sister's Run, including their premium line, Heirloom Vineyards. We went from a hot little Chardonnay to a hundred year old vine Shiraz that closed the afternoon.
The Story Behind the Name
Sister's Run is the work of winemaker Elena Brooks and her husband and business partner, Zar Brooks. Elena grew up in Lyaskovets, Bulgaria, a small town known for its wine, and started learning the trade there before she was even a teenager. She later trained formally in South Australia, met Zar at a wine judging panel, and stayed on to build a career across some of McLaren Vale's best known cellars.
The label's name (Sister's Run) comes from one very specific night. Elena, ever practical, spends her vintage days in steel cap work boots and keeps a pair of heels tucked in the back of the pickup truck for the occasions that call for them, like a last minute invitation to collect a trophy at a wine show dinner. And this was actually the case on one vintage evening, when Elena was cutting it extremely close to being late for one said award show. Finishing off in the winery with her evening dress and boots and realizing the time, Elena grabbed her heels and, in all the confusion and worry about getting to the award show in time, did not realize she had one boot on and only one side of her heels. That's when her cellar crew called out, “Run, sister, run.” The label, and its now familiar boot and stiletto logo, were born on the spot.
A few of the wines we tasted carry a different name on the label- Heirloom Vineyards. It is a related project from the same family, generally built around smaller, single vineyard lots and a slightly higher price point than the entry level Sister's Run wines. Together, the two labels give a good picture of what this team can do at both ends of the shelf.
Into the Tasting
We opened with the Sister's Run Sunday Slippers McLaren Vale Chardonnay (2024, $18.95), and it announced itself with a candied, ripe nose of white flowers and citrus. On the palate, it is medium plus acid with a slightly metallic edge. A touch of white pepper and that same metallic note carry through to a medium to long finish. Not a shy wine, and a fun way to open a lineup that was about to get much redder.
Next was the Sister's Run Cows Corner Barossa GSM (2024, $18.95), a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro, which is the Australian name for Mourvèdre. The nose was red fruited but not especially dynamic, showing more black fruit as it opened. On the palate, medium tannin, medium plus alcohol, medium body, a touch of American oak, and the overall impression of a simple, easy drinking wine rather than a complex one. Nothing wrong with that. It knows exactly what it is.
The Sister's Run Epiphany McLaren Vale Shiraz (2022, $17.95) was a clear favourite at the table, and it turns out that is not a coincidence. It is reportedly the label's most popular wine by a wide margin. Black fruit and bell pepper show on the nose, with medium plus tannin and acidity, warm alcohol, and a herbed character that keeps that bell pepper note running right through the palate.
From there we moved into the two Cabernets, which read like cool climate and warm climate cousins. The Sister's Run Bethlehem Block Barossa Cabernet (2023, $19.95) showed a true Cabernet nose of bell pepper and black fruit, with a rich, very ripe palate, medium tannin and acidity, and a juicy red fruit crunch. It is the kind of wine I can picture winning over a room fast, precisely because it is so generous. Its counterpart, the Sister's Run Old Testament Coonawarra Cabernet (2021, $19.95), came from a noticeably cooler site. Less perfumed on the nose, but with a better, more layered palate showing black and blue fruit alongside medium plus tannin and acid. Same grape, two very different personalities, and a nice reminder of how much the vineyard site matters.
The Heirloom Vineyards Wines
The Heirloom Vineyards Barossa Shiraz (2023, $22.95) leaned earthy, with dark fruit and currant, easy drinking and big but not especially long or complex. The American oak shows through clearly. Its counterpart, the Heirloom Vineyards Coonawarra Cabernet (2024, $22.95), went in the opposite direction of super bell pepper, floral, with red, black, and blue fruit and a medium tannin and acid structure that felt more composed overall.
The Heirloom Vineyards Anevo Fortress McLaren Vale Red (2024, $45.00), a blend of Grenache, Touriga, and Tempranillo, was a genuine highlight of the tasting. A gorgeous nose and a fantastic, smooth palate, aged only in French oak. It is proof that a less familiar blend can outshine the bigger names on the table.
We closed with the Heirloom Vineyards A'Lambra Barossa Valley Shiraz (2023, $53.00), from vines pushing a hundred years old. There is something special about fruit grown on old, struggling vines; smaller bunches, smaller berries, more concentration, and a real sense of a unique patch of land speaking through the glass. It is the top wine in the portfolio, and tasting it alongside a more everyday bottling made the difference obvious. Cocoa and herbal notes showed on the nose.
A Final Thought
Talking with Elena about our market here in Ontario, Canada was a highlight in itself. She was candid about what she believes sells best here: "Shiraz and Cabernet, in a richer style". She even mentioned that with fewer American wines available on our shelves lately, Cabernet Sauvignon sales for the label have doubled. Her stated goal for the whole portfolio is refreshingly simple, "modern wines for the modern palate, made in a way that captures Australia rather than chasing a trend".
It is a family of labels with real range, from an easy Tuesday night Shiraz to a century old vine showstopper, and a name with a story worth telling on its own.
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