2018 Henschke, Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley, Australia
Description
This has a deep, brooding nose of plum and blackberry, with a hint of pepper and nutmeg. The palate is deep and full-bodied, with great intensity and length. This is a superb Hill of Grace, still holding its cards close to its chest, and will need another decade or two to fully spread its wings.
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Colour
Red -
Sweetness
Dry -
Vintage
2018 -
Alcohol
14.5% -
Grape
Syrah/Shiraz -
Body
Medium Bodied -
Producer
Henschke
Critics reviews
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
Drink 2023 to 2048.
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