Henschke Wines Tasting with Johann Henschke (WineHouse, Los Angeles): I was genuinely scared to even give this a sniff but wow. This might be the best wine I have ever smelled. So balanced, beautiful. Eucalyptus, barrel, leather, tobacco, cigar box, cedar, black and red cherry, balsamic and tomato, oak twig, strawberry, raspberry, forrest floor, prosciutto, black pepper, anise, cumin, and blackberry jam. So so much in this nose, almost all the notes that any other wine has shown tonight. To be fair though, the intensity is not that high but man is it elegant. It makes you think, it makes you listen because it got a lot to say. On the palate, it’s just so seamless and goes down unnoticed in the best sense, just to leave insanely long finish. Palate: jam and stewed fruit, liquorice and eucalyptus, some oak, but it is not offensive, just big and strong. Finish: most of the notes come back one after another. Balsamic and eucalyptus, berry bush, berries one chasing after the other, earth, tobacco, and coffee. Just wow. 14/18
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This wine is made of 100% Shiraz from old vines planted around 1860, aged 18 months in oak (83% French, 17% American; 20% new). It is a complex and elegant, but still very youthful wine. Harmonious and luxurious with a firm amount of pleasant sweetness from the ripe fruits and also lovely acidity and round tannin with a firm bite. A mouth full of great wine which will please over many years, but deserves – to start with – at least another 5 – 8 years in the bottle. For this moment the Mount Edelstone is the more tempting and drinkable wine, but in the long run the Hill of Grace will probably be the winner. Would be nice to compare the two in 2040 :) 95 – 97++
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Quite austere, seems to be a significant style shift since the 2000's. Medium to full body. Blackberries. Robust structure. Long finish with some complexity. Not ready to drink yet, wait 5 years, then will last for decades.
Henschke ferment in open topped vats and use wooden slats to keep the cap in touch with the wine. Cultivated yeasts, low density vines which are ancient and huge. sandy, silt over clay over schist. Vines are phylloxera free and ungrafted.
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Truly iconic and one of the epic wines of Australia!
Nose of blackfruit and five star spices, core of plums with fine acidity and velvet like tannins.
2018 was a standout vintage in Eden Valley, and this HOG comes from the hallowed single vineyard of the same name dating back to 1860.
Matured in 20% new and 80% seasoned (83% French, 17% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.
Thanks to Jodie at the Henschke cellardoor for entertaining us and all our questions,for the passion she showed for the brand, history and wines.. and for 4 iconic 2018 vintage pourings and a total of 13 different wines over two hours.
11 Aug 2023 Henschke Keyneton Cellardoor, South Australia
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Great rendition of an Oz classic. Interesting to taste as part of a set of new vintages - it’s very, very obviously the best of the 18’s from Henschke. It’s the only wine in the line up that has an exotic Asian 5 spice almost star anise type vibe to go with all the dark fruit and berries. It’s also the only wine that has a sense of effortlessness and elegance . Best young HOG I can remember.
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1/30/2024 - AD_jutant Likes this wine: 96 Points
Henschke Wines Tasting with Johann Henschke (WineHouse, Los Angeles): I was genuinely scared to even give this a sniff but wow. This might be the best wine I have ever smelled. So balanced, beautiful.
Eucalyptus, barrel, leather, tobacco, cigar box, cedar, black and red cherry, balsamic and tomato, oak twig, strawberry, raspberry, forrest floor, prosciutto, black pepper, anise, cumin, and blackberry jam. So so much in this nose, almost all the notes that any other wine has shown tonight. To be fair though, the intensity is not that high but man is it elegant. It makes you think, it makes you listen because it got a lot to say.
On the palate, it’s just so seamless and goes down unnoticed in the best sense, just to leave insanely long finish.
Palate: jam and stewed fruit, liquorice and eucalyptus, some oak, but it is not offensive, just big and strong.
Finish: most of the notes come back one after another. Balsamic and eucalyptus, berry bush, berries one chasing after the other, earth, tobacco, and coffee.
Just wow.
14/18
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11/8/2023 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
This wine is made of 100% Shiraz from old vines planted around 1860, aged 18 months in oak (83% French, 17% American; 20% new). It is a complex and elegant, but still very youthful wine. Harmonious and luxurious with a firm amount of pleasant sweetness from the ripe fruits and also lovely acidity and round tannin with a firm bite. A mouth full of great wine which will please over many years, but deserves – to start with – at least another 5 – 8 years in the bottle. For this moment the Mount Edelstone is the more tempting and drinkable wine, but in the long run the Hill of Grace will probably be the winner. Would be nice to compare the two in 2040 :) 95 – 97++
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9/24/2023 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite austere, seems to be a significant style shift since the 2000's. Medium to full body. Blackberries. Robust structure. Long finish with some complexity. Not ready to drink yet, wait 5 years, then will last for decades.
Henschke ferment in open topped vats and use wooden slats to keep the cap in touch with the wine. Cultivated yeasts, low density vines which are ancient and huge. sandy, silt over clay over schist. Vines are phylloxera free and ungrafted.
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8/11/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Truly iconic and one of the epic wines of Australia!
Nose of blackfruit and five star spices, core of plums with fine acidity and velvet like tannins.
2018 was a standout vintage in Eden Valley, and this HOG comes from the hallowed single vineyard of the same name dating back to 1860.
Matured in 20% new and 80% seasoned (83% French, 17% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.
Thanks to Jodie at the Henschke cellardoor for entertaining us and all our questions,for the passion she showed for the brand, history and wines.. and for 4 iconic 2018 vintage pourings and a total of 13 different wines over two hours.
11 Aug 2023
Henschke Keyneton Cellardoor, South Australia
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5/12/2023 - Luke Wine Likes this wine:
Great rendition of an Oz classic. Interesting to taste as part of a set of new vintages - it’s very, very obviously the best of the 18’s from Henschke. It’s the only wine in the line up that has an exotic Asian 5 spice almost star anise type vibe to go with all the dark fruit and berries. It’s also the only wine that has a sense of effortlessness and elegance . Best young HOG I can remember.
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