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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.2 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 8 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Jamieson12o on 1/26/2024: Yes this is Auzzie shiraz, but I really was expecting something more than what was for me just a massive oak bomb. I couldn't get past the jam/vanilla - give me some tannins/acidity! Couldn't finish the glass. If I were scoring i'd have given this a flat 80 - but it's clearly a 'me' problem, so NR'd so as not to prejudice the 'normal' scores for this. (820 views) | | | Tasted by SH Wu on 4/23/2023 & rated 93 points: A beautiful shiraz that separates itself in a lineup of complex, brooding reds. Herbs, fresh ground pepper and a large sprig of mint light up the heavy concentration of fruit. Fresh red berry acidity brightens up the warm finish.
This could take many more years in the cellar, but I thought it was pleasant to drink already with a few hours of air. This is a great red to bring as contrast in a cabernet/syrah heavy lineup. (1783 views) | | | Tasted by Andrew Lannen on 1/25/2023 & rated 98 points: Faultless. Such finesse. Quality fruit in balance with its purpose. 2016 is an outstanding vintage that allows earlier drinking. I never give such a high score but almost best wine I have had some some time. (1978 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 12/2/2021: Grand Cru Shiraz (The four seasons hotel, the rocks, sydney): Ripe blackberry, cream, peppery spice, polished oak but slightly sour red currant and herbaceous notes, alcohol warmth. Juicy, slightly sour acid, blackberry, alcohol warmth, chalky tannins carry long. Hmm, not a good one for me. (3933 views) | | | Tasted by vespasian on 5/20/2021 & rated 95 points: Quite intense fruit on the nose and really complex herbal character, verging on medicinal. Aromatic spices as well; lovely elegance, the fruit silkily cascades across the palate. lovely concentration, real grip and length. (3798 views) |
| NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of The WINEFRONT and JancisRobinson.com and Decanter and JamesSuckling.com and Halliday Wine Companion. (manage subscription channels) |
| Henschke Producer website
FIRST GENERATION – 1803-1873
Johann Christian Henschke
Johann Christian Henschke, born on December 24, 1803, departed from Kutschlau in the province of Brandenburg in the summer of 1841, and after an ill-fated 98-day voyage aboard the Skjold, arrived in South Australia on October 27. His wife Appolonia Wilhelmine, and six-year-old son Johann Friedrich Wilhelm died during the voyage and were buried at sea; nine-month-old daughter Johanne Luise died while they were awaiting departure from Hamburg. Johann Christian’s brother, Johann Martin, and his family also made the journey aboard the Skjold, while their other brother, Johann Georg, and his family followed on the August in 1856.
Upon arrival, with his two surviving children (Johann Gottlieb and Johann August), Johann Christian stayed briefly at Klemzig and Hahndorf, before settling for a time at Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills, where in 1843 he married Dorothea Elisabeth Schmidt, with whom he was to have eight more children. In 1847, after Johann Christian and many of the other Lobethal founders became naturalised and eligible to purchase land, he and his family” settled at Krondorf village near Bethany in the Barossa Valley, where the house and outbuildings still stand today.
In 1862 he purchased land in the North Rhine district (later renamed Keyneton) of the Barossa Range, so named because it was thought the area was capable of producing good quality wine. Initially travelling by foot from Krondorf to North Rhine, he started to develop his property by adopting the traditional self-sufficient farming methods of his homeland, and with the help of his son Paul Gotthard, planted a small vineyard. A farmer and mason by trade, Johann Christian built a small two-storey cellar into the side of the hill for the first vintages of riesling and shiraz, with the first sales in 1868.
THE FIFTH GENERATION
Being mindful of their role as custodians
Stephen and Prue continue to craft their white wines with a focus on purity, while their red wines have a strong focus on terroir, using traditional winemaking techniques.
“Prue and I are the current ‘keepers of the flame’. Just as earlier generations have done, we want to manage the vineyards and winery so they can be passed on to the next generation in better condition than we inherited them. The last 50 years have been an incredible journey for the Australian wine industry. Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone are arguably the two oldest single vineyard wines produced in this country that tell the wine story of Australia. Our vision would not be complete without the expectation that future generations will uphold and perpetuate our belief that such ancient and unique single-vineyard sites can produce exceptional wines that are prized for their beauty and rarity.”
– Stephen Henschke
2016 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone2016 MOUNT EDELSTONE
GRAPE VARIETY
100% 104 year-old single-vineyard shiraz grown in the Mount Edelstone vineyard in the Eden Valley wine region, using organic and biodynamic practices.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Harvest Date: 07-18 March | Alcohol: 14.5% | pH: 3.48 | Acidity: 6.576g/L
MATURATION
Matured in 80% French and 20% American (19% new, 81% seasoned) hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.
WINE DESCRIPTION
Deep crimson with violet hues. Fragrant, spicy aromas of black pepper, sage, bay leaf and anise are interwoven with vibrant Satsuma plum, blackberry and blueberry, and gentle tarragon and cedar notes. The palate is complex and textured with rich and concentrated flavours of mulberry, blackberry and Satsuma plum, layered with sage, black pepper and star anise. The finish is beautifully balanced, with long, velvety tannins and excellent depth.
BACKGROUND
The beautiful and historic name Mount Edelstone is a translation from the German Edelstein meaning 'gemstone', a reference to small yellow opals once found in the area. The Mount Edelstone vineyard was planted in 1912 by Ronald Angas, a descendant of George Fife Angas who founded The South Australian Company and played a significant part in the formation and establishment of South Australia. Unusual for its time, the vineyard was planted solely to shiraz. The ancient 500-million-year-old geology in the vineyard has given rise to soils that are deep red-brown clay-loam to clay, resulting in low yields from the dry-grown, ungrafted centenarian vines. First bottled as a single-vineyard wine in 1952 by fourth-generation Cyril Henschke; by the time Cyril purchased the vineyard from Colin Angas in 1974, Mount Edelstone was already well entrenched as one of Australia's greatest shiraz wines. Crafted by the Henschke family for over 60 years now, Mount Edelstone is arguably the longest consecutively-produced, single-vineyard wine in
Australia.
VINTAGE DESCRIPTION
The 2016 vintage began with well below-average winter rainfall, followed by a warm and dry spring, which enhanced flowering and set to give average to above-average yield potential. Low disease pressure was maintained by one of the hottest Decembers on record, though temperatures cooled down in the New Year and rainfall around veraison in late January brought relief to the dry-grown, old-vine Eden Valley vineyards. This was followed by further rainfall in early March which cased the stress on all varieties. The fruit matured with an earlier harvest, as predicted due to an early Easter. Open, light and airy vine canopies allowed for good flavour, sugar and colour and mature tannins to develop at harvest, which was overall characterised by average yields bur very high quality.
"The vineyard was planted in 1912, hand-picked, matured in 80% French and 20% American hogsheads (19% new). The vintage was challenging, but this shiraz shows no sign of that. It is full-bodied, very complex and very long, the tannins expertly massaged and drawn under the fruit. Blackberry, tar and bitter dark chocolate all contribute to what will be a very long-lived wine." - Wine Companion
"Excellent colour, deep and youthful with strong purple tints. The bouquet is robust and concentrated, mixed spices, led by pepper and earthy notes, a trace of eucalyptus-mint, rich and dense as it is also in the mouth. A collossus of a wine. There's a lot of charry oak input and this tinges the aftertaste with a little bitterness. A powerhouse of a shiraz, and quite heavily extracted, but also superb. Long-term. " - Huon Hooke
"Rich, ripe scents, overlay of sandalwood and cedar, new leather and slapped sage leaf, black currants and black olive too. That perfume improves over time, more evocative, more delicious, more everything, fantastic. Slippery, sleek and fine to taste, succulent with a generous side, dark, brooding berry fruits, compote sweet and rich but with a freshness of acidity that counterbalances nicely and the word ‘purity’ comes to mind. Epic wine, so much going on, incredibly detailed and quietly powerful. Wonderful release speaking so fluently of stately old vine and intensity of fruit." - Wine Front
"The 2016 Mount Edelstone Vineyard Shiraz is steeped in complexity, with aromas ranging from camphor, bay leaf and sage to smoke and grilled beef and from blueberries and blackberries to plums laced with spice. Full-bodied, rich and intense, it's ripe and velvety textured, with a long, licorice-tinged finish and dusty tannins that bode well for the cellar. From vines planted in 1912, I suspect this will come close to the quality of the Hill of Grace at a fraction of the price. Tasted again the following day from the open bottle, this was even better, seamless, flowing and harmonious in the mouth." - Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate
"Dense, bright purple. An arresting dried herb/nori savouriness to the fore on this wine backed up beautifully by black fruits, loganberry, blueberry and an aromatic swirl of spice.A concentrated palate with a sustained tannin push marks this vintage of Mount Edelstone for me. It’s a tight coil of individual components led by tannin that leads me directly to the cellar. This is a wine assured of a long life." - Jeni Port, WinePilot
"Powerful but unobtrusive tannins – like an engine purring – support dark, perfectly ripe blackberry, mulberry and plum fruit, with hints of strawberry, red fruit leather and smoked charcuterie notes from the oak. Spice and dried herb nuances unfurl over three days, beautifully articulating the terroir and its 104-year-old vines through notes of black pepper, sage, tea tree, star anise, mint and cardamom. Ripe and refreshing redcurrant sustains the sweet, spiced fruit through the long, sinuous finish. Terrific purity, poise and panache." - DecanterHenschke Shiraz Mount EdelstoneA wine of storied tradtion from near the top of the Henschke range. The Mount Edelstone vineyard is in the Eden Valley and was planted in 1912 by Ronald Angas, a descendant of George Fife Angas, a founder of 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 bring low yields from the 102-year-old dry-grown, ungrafted centenarian vines. First bottled as a single-vineyard wine in 1952, it is recognised as one of Australia’s greatest Shiraz wines.
Its Origins
Henschke have a long history in Australian wine, and their story is similar to many European families who have reached the very top of their field: building on the best aspects of tradition while integrating the finest modern thinking and methodology. Johann Christian Henschke was a Sliesian refugee who came to Australia in 1841 seeking religious freedom. In 1862 he planted the first vineyard on his property in Keyneton South Australia, in the now famous Eden Vale, with the first wine released six years later. Fourth generation Cyril Henschke laid the foundation for the company’s modern success by looking beyond the fortified styles of the day to develop their first ‘serious’ single-varietal and single-vineyard wines, in particular the now-legendary Shiraz wines ‘Hill of Grace’ and ‘Mount Edelstone’.
Today the fifth generation are if anything stronger, with the team of winemaker Stephen Henschke and his viticulturalist wife Prue having established the label at the pinnacle of not only Australian but world winemaking. The exceptional skill and appropriate technology brought to bear in the winery, and organic and biodynamic principles in the vineyard, are far more than doing justice to the tradition they are part of...and the extremely old vines they have in their care. Some of these vines are 100 years old - and on their original rootstocks - while vines in the Hill of Grace vineyard are likewise on original rootstocks, though some date back as far as the 1860s.
The beautiful and historic name Mount Edelstone is a translation from the German Edelstein meaning ‘gemstone’, a reference to small yellow opals once found in the area. The Mount Edelstone Vineyard was planted in 1912 by Ronald Angas, a descendant of George Fife Angas who founded The South Australian Company and played a significant part in the formation and establishment of South Australia. Unusual for its time, the vineyard was planted solely to shiraz. The ancient 500-million-year-old geology in the vineyard has given rise to soils that are deep red-brown clay-loam to clay, resulting in low yields from the dry-grown, ungrafted centenarian vines. First bottled as a single-vineyard wine in 1952 by fourth-generation Cyril Henschke. By the time Cyril purchased the vineyard from Colin Angas in 1974, Mount Edelstone was already well entrenched as one of Australia’s greatest shiraz wines. Crafted by the Henschke family for 65 years now, Mount Edelstone is arguably the longest consecutively-produced, single-vineyard wine in Australia.
MOUNT EDELSTONE VINEYARD TODAY
The vines are planted on their own roots, are dry grown and yield an average of 3 t/ha (1.25 t/acre). The vines are planted on a wide spacing of 3.7m between vines and 3.7m between rows. The original one-metre trellis consists of two wires which carry two to three arched canes with a bud number of around 50 to 60. The foliage is allowed to hang down to form a drooping canopy, which helps to reduce shoot vigour.
In 1989 Prue trialled 10 rows of a Scott Henry trellis in which the shoots from the top wire canes are trained upwards between foliage wires and the shoots from the bottom wire canes are trained downwards between foliage wires. The effect of this solar panel system is to provide a significant increase in exposure of the leaves and fruit to the sun, thereby increasing fruitfulness and promoting earlier ripening and a greater increase in colour and flavour of the fruit and improved tannin maturity.
This trellis has had such a positive impact on the quality of the wine that over three quarter of the vineyard has now been converted to it. Other trellis trials were also being evaluated including VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioned), high single wire, Smart Dyson and ballerina.
The Mount Edelstone vineyard is underlain entirely by laminated siltstones of the Tapley Hill Formation. The soils are fine sandy loams over deep gravelly medium red clays. The soil layer goes to a significant depth before reaching the bedrock. The pale mottled clay/clay loam layer indicates that a large degree of leaching and periodic waterlogging has occurred. Rocks beneath the red clay soils are schists of Cambrian age. These are metamorphosed mineral-rich sediments, originally deposited in a shallow sea, then deeply buried, and finally pushed back up to the surface where they weathered to produce a thick soil layer.
Originally the ground was cultivated for weed control. Nowadays the vineyard has a permanent sward including native grasses. A mulch of wheat straw is used under the vines to retain soil moisture, build up organic matter, and inhibit weed growth. Prediction of disease pressure through an integrated pest management program results in minimal chemical input in the vineyard. The vineyard management incorporates organic and biodynamic practices, including composted grape marc, cow pit peat, 500 and 501 preparations, milk whey and bicarbonate sprays.
The grapes are picked mid to late April at a sugar level of around 24°Bé. There is always a remarkable acid/pH balance from this vineyard. The anthocyanins in the berries are very high which indicates the superior quality of the Mount Edelstone shiraz.
Prue began a mass selection program in 1986 to identify the best vines for propagation. With her assistant Uschi Linssen she tagged and mapped selected vines in the vineyard for viticultural features during the growing season using criteria such as even budburst, absence of the wood-rotting fungus eutypa, bunch numbers per shoot, the evenness of flowering and veraison, virus, and maturity and colour figures in the fruit. It was painstaking work, which also included a similar selection of the Hill of Grace vineyard.
Cuttings from the selected vines were planted in the nursery. The research work is ongoing and is a scientific program that has taken up to 30 years to work through. Cuttings have been taken from the nursery vines, propagated, and planted as needed in the vineyard to replace old vines that have expired from dying arm, Eutypa lata.Shiraz Varietal article (Wikipedia) | Varietal character (Appellation America)Australia Wine Australia (Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) | Australian Wines (Wikipedia)South Australia South Australian Wine Industry Association | South Australian Wines (Wikipedia)Barossa Barossa Wine (South Australian Tourism Commission) |
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