Henschke Heritage tasting with Paul Boothby

Julius, Mt Edelstone and Hill of Grace verticals with Paul Boothby the Australian distributor.

The 2003 was the stand out in this bracket, but the 2009 shows the same balance and approachability and the 1997 still has many years left in it. The balance of the acidity with the mineral elements was consistent across all three wines.

• 2009 Henschke Riesling Julius 96 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  A light lemon colour with lime zest and lemon peel on the nose and a slight candle wax aroma that was supported by a soft pear element. The palette was remarkably soft for the young age with the citrus fruit balanced with the steely minerality that makes this wine very approachable. A very long finish with an almost grassy note.

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• 2003 Henschke Riesling Julius 97 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  Yellow gold colour with a very concentrated honey and candied tropical fruit nose with limes and faint petroleum characteristics. The palette is very fresh with a very young acid and fruit profile but with aged straw and kerosene characteristics in the mix as well which give way to a cutting minerality that goes all the way to the finish.

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• 1997 Henschke Riesling Julius 95 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  A straw-like gold colour. The nose starts with a strong matchstick note and a very very concentrated blend of kerosene, lime jubes and apricot kernel. The palette has a very well integrated texture of oily, mouth coating elements with a nice mineral line. Still time for this one.

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The 1992 was a winner in this flight, but the wines are all remarkably good, but are each quite different in their own way - like you might expect wines from different vineyards would be. The 1991 was the last bottle the distributor had.

• 2007 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone 97 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  A bright, vibrant red colour. The nose starts with creamy chocolate, delicate red berries and luscious vanillin from the oak. The palette has powdery tannins that hold up well, but are balanced and introduce an earthy, forest-floor character flanked by dark fruits and dark chocolate. The mouthfeel is chewy and the finish is powerful, but with delicate floral notes as well.

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• 1993 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone 96 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  Brick red colour on the edges with dark red and brown centre. The initial nose was dominated by spices and red cherry that gave way to saddle leather and even sultanas. The palette was full of rich, mouth-filling blackcurrant and liquorice elements and the tannins were silky and soft. The finish was long and earthy with some cough syrup characters.

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• 1992 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone 98 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  Definitely the star vintage of the Mt Edelstones tonight. A dark red colour with very little brown edge. The nose started with a vibrant floral and spice opening which was luscious, but powerful, and completely hides the age of the wine. After a while, some fat fruit cake elements appeared. The palette was a lovely mellow chocolate and plum with blackberry edges and a length that goes on and on. This wine is showing no signs of slowing down yet. Hold onto this for a while.

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• 1991 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone 95 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  A surprisingly dark red colour, but with a fair bit of sediment, it might have been masked a bit. The nose is a cinnamon and tar that started a bit closed, but opened up with some more fruitcake and biscuit elements. The fruit is still there, but starting to move aside. The palette is very soft and the fruit comes back a bit with more lifted spices. Parts of the mid-palette is a bit lacking in fruit balance, but the overall mouthfeel has a great texture with tiny tannins. The finish is a bit shorted than compared to the more recent vintages this evening, but the chocolate after taste is quite special. Probably time to start getting into these now.

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The 1990 was head and shoulders above all the wines of the night. They were all approachable and really express the terroir of the vineyard across the years. A shame they are so expensive.

• 2006 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace 97 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  A bright crimson edge with an almost black centre. The nose is dark, dark fruits, blackberry, plum and delicate spice with plenty of black pepper, tar, leather and tobacco. There is a great integration with the wood, providing both vanillin elements as well as pencil shaving. This is amazingly approachable right now. The palette opens with a big chocolate front with pepper and concentrated dark fruits such as blackberry. There is a tarry silky finish incorporating tobacco notes and the wine shows no flab, no over-ripe jammy elements, and is muscular with no clumsy aspects. A very tight, complex and intense package. Deserving of the title of one of Australia's great red wines.

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• 1992 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace 98 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  A brick red colour edge with dark red centre. The nose starts with spice and a magic oak integration and beautiful blackberry and mulberry and even chewy capsicum and fresh herb notes. Milk chocolate, cedar and tobacco leaf. The palette is smooth with a hit of cherry in the mid-palette and some big spice notes with tobacco. The finish is long with fresh notes right to the end. This wine should go for a while yet.

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• 1991 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace 96 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  A brick red edge with an almost orange hue. This wine was sadly a little oxidised, but I reckon that a good bottle could have been the stand out wine of the night. Although too much of the fruit profile had dropped, the complexity of the spice notes gives an indication of how good this could be. There was fruit cake, tar and a concentrated cigar box character. The palette was still remarkably fresh considering the oxidation, with cherry, riper fruits and nice integrated tannins. The mid-palette balance was a bit off due to the oxidation, but the tobacco and spice notes show that this is a seriously good Hill of Grace vintage. I'd love to look at another.

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• 1990 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace 99 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  The stand out wine of the night without question. The colour showed no browning with a lovely deep red. The nose was an amazing concoction of black fruits, bitumen and with a muscular depth that demanded attention. The palette was lively with fresh acidity and a great fresh herb hit with black pepper and dark cherry that gave way to blackberry and cedar elements. The spicy notes at the top of the mouth were spectacular and the milk chocolate and cigar box finish went on and on. I don't know if this should be drunk now - as it is so good, or wait to see what else will happen.

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