Description
Henschke, Mount Edelstone Vineyard, Shiraz
For more than 150 years and spanning six generations, Henschke has been recognized for its rich winemaking heritage in Eden Valley, Barossa Valley, and the Adelaide Hills. Stephen and Pru Henschke are the current “keepers of the flame”. They’re poised to pass the winery and vineyards to the next generation in better condition than when they inherited them. Their “Hill of Grace” and “Mount Edelstone” are arguably the two oldest single vineyard wines produced in all of Australia. The Mount Edelstone vineyard, situated in the Eden Valley, was planted in 1912 by Ronald Angas, a descendant of George Fife Angas, who founded South Australia. Unusual for its time, it was planted solely to shiraz. The ancient 500-million-year-old soils on the vineyard are deep red-brown clay-loam to clay, resulting in low yields from over 100-year-old dry-grown, ungrafted centenarian vines. First bottled as a single-vineyard wine in 1952, it became recognized as one of Australia’s greatest Shiraz wines. It’s a steal of a price compared to “Hill of Grace” and not too far off the mark in quality and cellar worthiness. Savvy collectors favor “Mount Edelstone” over “Hill of Grace” not just because of the price difference but the wine is typically more approachable in its youth. Always the standout in the Henschke lineup, the 2015 keeps to its broad-shouldered heroics delivering a beautiful integration of richness and textured elegance. Eden Valley Shiraz at its best with its signature nose of sage with crushed black pepper that leads into a bowl of camphor scented black and blue fruit laced with crushed flowering herbs and cedar nuances. Another triumph from this Australian institution.
