On May 4, Henschke will release the 2017 vintages of its single-vineyard shiraz wines: Hill of Roses, Mount Edelstone, The Wheelwright, and its flagship, Hill of Grace. These Eden Valley wines celebrate one season and four single sites under the custodianship of the sixth-generation winemaking family.
The 2017 marks the 56th release of Henschke Hill of Grace, from a vineyard of just four hectares. “2017 is a vintage graced by vitality,” says winemaker Stephen Henschke. “The common thread through all four Eden Valley releases shows a liveliness and capacity for long life that has developed as the result of an exceptionally long and gentle vintage. This vintage will be recognised for wines of incredible depth, purity and energy, much akin to high-quality vintages such as 1992, 2006 and 2012, all of which were late, cool seasons and have shown excellent ageing potential in ideal cellaring conditions.”
Henschke's Hill of Grace vineyard.
Henschke, one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wineries, has been making wine for over 150 years. The first single-vineyard wine, Mount Edelstone, was produced by fourth-generation winemaker Cyril Henschke in 1952, from 16 hectares of shiraz planted in 1912. The 2017 is the 65th release of Mount Edelstone. Hill of Grace was first made four years later, from a tiny, family-owned vineyard growing in a shallow, alluvial valley, a few kilometres north-west of the winery. The 'grandfather' vines used are some of the oldest in the world, standing at over 160 years of age.
Stephen took over the winemaking reins from Cyril in 1979, and has been the chief winemaker for four decades. “Our unique Eden Valley sites mean so much more to me than the beauty of the vines and the wines they produce. Each step we take is in the footsteps of our ancestors. Our story is the perseverance and courage of the generations past and the generations yet to come.”
While you're counting down the days until the release, you can view the latest Henschke tasting notes from Halliday Tasting Team member Dave Brookes.
2017 Henschke Hill of Grace Eden Valley Shiraz
Australia's finest single-vineyard site? I think so. With its core of gnarled shiraz vines planted circa 1860 and its picture-perfect location alongside the Gnadenberg church, it is a much adored and discussed vineyard which has been producing stellar wines since the first single-vineyard Hill of Grace was released in 1958. Today, those original vines are bolstered with its 'young' 100+ and 35+yo kinfolk and aged in 83/17% French/American oak hogsheads (29% new) for 18 months. Grace by name, grace by nature; it's a perfectly framed, elegant snapshot of pristine fruit, site and season. Precisely ripened berry fruits are underscored with notes of Chinese five-spice, sage, jasmine, licorice, mocha, blackberry pastille, charcuterie, wild flowers and cherry clafoutis. Pitch-perfect and elegant on the palate, the tannin-acid architecture tuned and sympatico with the pristine ancestor-vine fruit and a very long, silken finish that resonates with style and place. My goodness it's lovely. 99 points, Halliday Wine Companion, Dave Brookes.RRP $900 | Drink to 2065
2017 Henschke Hill of Roses Eden Valley Shiraz
From vines in the Hill of Grace vineyard that are too young for inclusion in the stellar Hill of Grace release. Named as a tribute to Johann Gottlieb Rosenzweig, one of the early Barossa Lutheran pioneers who settled at Parrot Hill in the Eden Valley. Aromas of prime blackberry and dark plum fruits mesh with hints of pressed flowers, red cherry and mulberry high notes, spice, sage, cassis and licorice. Medium bodied, composed and displaying a wonderful sense of grace and calm with detailed red and dark fruits, powdery tannin, impeccable balance and a pitch-perfect savoury flow on the enduring finish. 97 points, Halliday Wine Companion, Dave Brookes.RRP $430 | Drink to 2040
2017 Henschke Mount Edelstone Eden Valley Shiraz
From a single vineyard of 105yo shiraz vines on Mount Edelstone in the Eden Valley, farmed according to organic and biodynamic practices. Aged in 86/14% French and American oak (26% new) for 18 months. I was lucky enough to live next door to the Mount Edelstone vineyard for 8 years and have consumed a fair amount of Cooper's Green on the bench at the summit; I have seen the amount of fastidious work Henschke put into the vineyard. It's a special place. Bright, intense blackberry and blackcurrant fruits mesh with hints of Asian spice, tar, turned earth, rosehip, sage and high-cocoa dark chocolate. Displaying a beautiful, pure, dark fruit flow, it's a wonderfully complex wine with ripe long-grain tannins and sprightly mineral acid drive, finishing very long and graceful with a core of cassis and spice. Will cellar magnificently. 97 points, Halliday Wine Companion, Dave Brookes.RRP $235 | Drink to 2052
2017 Henschke The Wheelwright Vineyard Eden Valley Shiraz
Eden Valley estate fruit, planted in 1968 and matured in 10% new oak (95/5% French/American) hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending. Notes of mulberry, blueberry and redcurrant flit above the bass tones of dark and black berries, cut with spice, licorice, dark chocolate, sage and a scattering of brambly, briar-like notes. Graceful red fruits and spice feature on the palate which, like all Henschke wines, shows detail and elegance with perhaps a little more red fruit coming through. The balance and clarity of form impresses greatly. 96 points, Halliday Wine Companion, Dave Brookes.
RRP $140 | Drink to 2036
Henschke's 2017 single-vineyard collection will be available through the Henschke website and cellar door, fine wine retailers, and restaurants from Wednesday May 4, 2022.
