2018 Henschke, Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley, Australia
Critics reviews
Inky plum colour, the deepest of the Henschke single vineyard lineup for this iconic wine. Hang out with the aromatics before even heading in for a sip, because they are beautiful, with a hit of star anise, fennel and white pepper. On the palate, you get rosebud, peony, blackberry, redcurrant and slate, all revving up and lifting off. This just tingles with fine tannins and keeps you fully engaged - if you think Australia can't do cool-climate-style lusciously finessed wine, prepare to be blown away. 100% Shiraz from ungrafted pre-Phylloxera material brought from Europe in the mid 1800s. Organic and biodynamic farming. 20% new oak, largely French with a touch of American.
Drink 2023-2048
Jane Anson, janeanson.com (March 2023)
Drink 2023 to 2048
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (April 2023)
Mid lustrous, shaded crimson. Subtle nose of minerals and earth with quite a 'sharp' palate entry. Lots of ripe-but-refreshing fruit suggests there's hardly any tannin here at all. It's somehow more 'comfortable' and settled – less sharp – than Hill of Roses 2018, with notes of molasses but nothing heavy nor obviously sweet. Wonderfully long and refreshing. It does taste like a vineyard in a bottle! I'm sure Stephen H works awfully hard in the winery but this almost tastes as though he doesn't. Difficult to know how long this will still offer great drinking; the Henschkes suggest '30+ years from vintage'.
Drink 2025-2045
Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com (March 2023)
About this WINE
Henschke
Henschkes family name and reputation are now being upheld by the fifth generation, Stephen and his wife Prue. Stephen is the biochemist and winemaker and Prue is the viticulturist.
Over the past 14 years, Prue`s viticultural management has breathed new life into the vineyards, which fully capitalise on some of the most remarkable old vine material in the world.
The highly sought-after Hill of Grace is the product of vines planted in the 1860s and is Australia's greatest single vineyard Shiraz. The Mount Edelstone Shiraz has a large following, as does the Keyneton Estate. Henschke Rieslings are the finest in the Eden Valley and amongst the very best in Australia.
Eden Valley
Eden Valley is a famous fine wine Southern Australian region, nestled at 400 metres among the Barossa Ranges on the eastern boundary of the Barossa Valley, approx 500 ha.
Samuel Smith planted vines here in 1849. Johann Henschke’s farm near present-day Keyneton, then called ‘North Rhine’dates back to 1862. However until the 1950s the region reverted back to livestock to make a living (as irrigation impractical). The 1950s saw a resurgence in the region’s fortunes, thanks to the likes of Cyril Hencshke’s promotion of Riesling. Yalumba acknowledged the region’s high quality fruit by relocating its winery to Angaston in the early 1970s; they had already planted the now famous Pewsey Vale vineyard in 1962. In 1972 they planted their Heggies vineyard with Chardonnay & then in ’84 with Viognier.
At between 380 – 550 metres, the region displays nutrient poor yellow podzolic/sandy & pink quartz soils over decomposed (gneiss) granite. Due to the rocky nature of the soils, irrigation is largely provided by dams & planting densities are higher than average. Compared to Clare Valley, Eden Valley is a marginally higher in altitude, if notably cooler zone with similar sunshine hours but slightly lower levels of continentality.
As expected, the style of these Riesling, Chardonnay and Viognier wines is one showing fine elegance & floral, stony purity; none of the wines should require acidification.
Syrah/Shiraz
A noble black grape variety grown particularly in the Northern Rhône where it produces the great red wines of Hermitage, Cote Rôtie and Cornas, and in Australia where it produces wines of startling depth and intensity. Reasonably low yields are a crucial factor for quality as is picking at optimum ripeness. Its heartland, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, consists of 270 hectares of steeply terraced vineyards producing wines that brim with pepper, spices, tar and black treacle when young. After 5-10 years they become smooth and velvety with pronounced fruit characteristics of damsons, raspberries, blackcurrants and loganberries.
It is now grown extensively in the Southern Rhône where it is blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to produce the great red wines of Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas amongst others. Its spiritual home in Australia is the Barossa Valley, where there are plantings dating as far back as 1860. Australian Shiraz tends to be sweeter than its Northern Rhône counterpart and the best examples are redolent of new leather, dark chocolate, liquorice, and prunes and display a blackcurrant lusciousness.
South African producers such as Eben Sadie are now producing world- class Shiraz wines that represent astonishing value for money.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Deep brooding nose of plum and blackberry – hint of pepper, nutmeg. Deep med – full bodied palate – great intensity and length. A superb Hill of Grace holding its card close to its chest – it will need 10 – 20+ years to start to spread its wings. A sleeping beauty. Bravo!
Stuart Rae, Buying Commercial Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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