Mount Edelstone is Stephen’s favourite Henschke vineyard - planted in 1912 by Colin Angas and sold to Cyril Henschke in 1974. I have 7 vintages of Mt Edelstone in my home cellar but somehow missed the 2013 so I bought a bottle -released from the Henschke museum. This was absolutely delicious and early in its drinking window is to 2045+. Chosen for the masterclass to taste beside the current release 2019 as they were both from drought years. A beautiful fragrant perfume. Black pepper, sage, spice and plum pudding. First released at 6 years of age. A brilliant wine. Particularly loved by my wife Barb. — a month ago
Deep and dense. Great smell. Smooth. — 3 months ago
Medium straw lemon , with hint of green . Shows a touch of age with slight petrol notes along with the lemongrass , smoky , spicy , ripe apple . On the palate good density , with a creamy richness , those lemongrass , ripe apple , slightly spicy notes . Slightly rich and weighty though with lovely balanced acidity and good length . Really good now though can go a further 5-8 years without too much problem — 5 months ago
This is Stephen Henschke’s favourite vintage of H of G he said. This was the first vintage he bottled under screw cap and all subsequent vintages have been bottled that way. They have also experimented with the Vinolok glass stopper. As Stephen said “I love tradition and it is very important as a 6th generation family owned winery. However when tradition lets you down as it has with cork, there is time to evaluate better closures. “ He went on to say the 2002 has that distinctive Hill of Grace nose which you can’t define but it does have the trademark mint, spice and sage. The palate is profoundly intense and could go on for another 10 years but flirting with perfection right now. — a month ago
The many types of oak create a lot of classic cab and Shiraz notes that evolve in the glass--black currant, graphite, clay, black pepper, cocoa, dill, vanilla. Plush blackberry jam on the palette. Super soft tannins typical of South Australia reds that barely need time to breathe. — 2 months ago
One of my favorite GSM blends. Gloriously rich and spicy. Still years of life left. — 4 months ago
At the Henschke tasting weekend with Stephen and Pru. Amazing how good this was for its youth. You could happily drink this now although the winery says you could cellar this 15 plus years (from vintage). In chatting with Stephen I think this was what he was trying to achieve. Excellent vintage he said. Red and blue fruits - touches of anise and white pepper. 81% Shiraz, 11% Grenache, 6% Mataro and 2% Viognier (for aromatics). An affordable Henschke red at $40. — a month ago
Classic Torbreck. Layers of flavor including cherries, spice backed by rich chocolate. Lovely drink for a cold winters night! — 24 days ago
Very dark in colour - almost black. Lots of everything - ripeness, oak, blackberry, dark chocolate. The sort of wine I would have loved in my 20’s, not so much in my 70’s. Not for lovers of delicate wine - this is full throttle. This Australian producer is probably better known in the USA than Australia - like Mollydooker. A full bodied palate with M plus intensity and grainy tannins. Ranked No. 3 in Wine Spectators Top 100 wines of 2012. Not sure that extended cellaring will make a huge difference but will try to have the last one in early 2027. — 3 months ago
Ray Vanderhoff
Blend of Shiraz (77%), Cabernet Sauvignon (16%) and Merlot (7%). Deep purple core with a lighter ruby rim. Aromas of cooked blueberries, plums and dark chocolate. Same fruits on the palate with additional spicy notes of black pepper and black licorice. Long and fruity finish. Creamy texture with soft and velvety tannins. The acidity is still quite lively. Medium-plus body. Aged beautifully. Thanks for the gift, Petey! — 19 days ago