Phil's impromptu tasting fun (Phil's place, Putney, Sydney): From Coravin. Plenty of spice which proves peppery, assisted by a touch of alcohol prickle, a little brambly fruit, leather, black tea, baked earth. Juicy, black hued, brambly fruit is ripe but not overripe, leathery tannins are graining grippy, long, pretty good.
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During a blind tasting dinner. Nose of Tobacco, sweet sugar molasses, dark fruit, earthy, woody notes. I guessed Syrah but not Australia as this was very elegant. A Wow wine and rare bird. 96+
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Post Beethoven Dinner (Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Gorgeous example - massive bottle age character allied with intense and rich shiraz fruit. The American oak is certainly very noticeable, but the overall effect is one of opulence, intensity, complexity and a rich balance. Only a hint of a nutty oxidative aspect, which married incredibly well with a lamb stock reduction with walnut oil. A superb example of classic South Australia shiraz, that has aged to a multifaceeted wine.
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Friday Night with the Beasts (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Opened and left to breath for a good hour. We did not decant but for no apparent reason. This is very very different to what we expected it to be. More Rhone syrah than Aussie Shiraz. With restraint and effortless balance, silky, still very much with a solid core of fruit. Good energy still and has a really long life ahead. What this has that is unique is that it lacks that milky/lactic side we usually come across with Aussie Shiraz ( Including HoG). We wonder if there was at some point a change towards the riper more Parker style. Amazing wine and a solid 95. Lots of life here and with nice evolution unlike Grange that doesnt seem to ever change..
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Medium weight colour. Ruby red. Red berries, soy, liquorice, Silky, a lovely blend of dark spice and red berries. Refined, silky tannins, great structure. Floats on the palate.
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Acker BYO 2018 (Tribeca Grille): Was excited to get to try this again. On the nose it really seems more like Bordeaux. Lots of leather and cigar and tobacco. Still nice fruits. Drinking very well right now.
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This was an interesting one. Poured the first glass and it was alright, but not great. Let it sit in the glass and got a bit more air. Was really tasting quite nicely with a bit more time. It's got a nice depth of fruit and and balance to it. Wish I'd had a bit more. But definitely a really tasty one.
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Still drinking well. 1 bottle left in cellar. Probably paid $30 many years ago. Would not purchase these days because of ridiculous price but still good to drink Aussie icon wine.
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Pnp. Very ready after an hour. Nose: Dark chocolate , mint, violet, very aromatic. Palate: resolved Tannin, smooth fruit, creamy , meaty , violet. Long and fully matured ! A bit fuller body than i expected. Seemed the best HOG i 've tried (91/92/95/98/01), if you like a more fruity version of HOG, 90 was not to be missed!
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John and Chris come to Luggate! (Luggate, New Zealand): Late maturity. Very harmonious, gentle fruit, great balance, soft, raspberry and pruney fruit, signifiant bottle age. A touch of tawny port/maderisation. Beautiful acid core, which gives a great core of intensity and focus. Very complex, very Australian. This is brilliant for its age, and is certainly outstanding, if not transcendent. Ageing well, in a specific style, considering the softer US oak style in which this was constructed.
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1990 HENSCHKE HILL OF GRACE SHIRAZ EDEN VALLEY- from the esteemed vineyard planted in 1958, this big dude blasted the palate with some heat and expansive notes of pepper, spicy, rich and super ripe blackberry fruit with Port like intensity even with some degree of sweetness; in fact, in a blind tasting, I call this a Port. When researching this extremely pricy wine, I found this: “Hill of Grace: this surely is one of the most evocative phrases in the world of wine. It is a translation from the German 'Gnadenberg', a region in Silesia, and the name given to the lovely Lutheran Church across the road.”
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Wow! Just wow! Amazingly aged shiraz with elegance and balance. Chocolate, raspberry, plum, prunes and blackberries on the nose. The finish was long & beautiful like a song from the 30's. I decanted the wine for 8 hours. I think it could have even gone another 3-5 years. Just so so good & a privilege to drink. Had i kept it down another few years i think i could have rated it 98 or 99.
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The least of a great lunch of great wines ! Advanced for age and pedigree with some reductive characters and plenty of old leather and earth. Some pleasant herbal and cherry characters and quite fine tannin and length suggesting a better wine was present some years ago. Given its reputation I would regard as an advanced bottle.
SLDS August 2016: Chocolate, meat, raspberry, plum and blackberries on the nose, with a touch of menthol coming in behind. Really well balanced at this point, with all the components in sync. Very long and feels like it is drinking close to, or at its peak.
Wonderful aged shiraz with amazing elegance and balance. Not rich or powerful, but persistent in flavour and with fascinating bouquet in the undergrowth and forest floor range.
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Amazingly fresh wine, with lovely acid balance and elegance. Not a big wine, and one to be savoured. Wonderful with rich hearty meat dishes at Grossi Florentino. Lovely line and length with touch of mintiness.
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NobleRottersSydney - Henschke (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {cork, 13.5%} (Gordon) Double-decanted two hours earlier. Offers all the spice-tinged perfume of this wine at its greatest; red fruits, soft old oak, seductive fresh compost. The palate is medium/full-bodied, seamless and round, with soft dusty tannins, medium acid, and a whole er, kaleidoscope of flavours; blackberry, coffee, spice, malt. Tobacco, too; and the perfume of the wine just grows in the glass. The palate is long and even, not brutal but gently sweet. A triumphantly great wine, well into the realm of bottle variation now, in comparison with the last bottle we tasted with this provenance back in 2010. Will probably hold a while longer, but clearly with some risk.
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Stained crumbly cork. Once removed, aroma filled the room, big attractive nose. Plums, leather, liquorice, intense core of fruit sweetness that may unwind and reveal more in years to come. Powerful, yet mellow and balanced. Impressive finish. Drunk in a vertical with the '91 and '92, all agreed this was the pick of the bunch.
Okay, maybe I am not an Aussie Shiraz guy. Lots of rubber and wooly fruit over the tongue - the nose really gets in the way of the palate here which is a shame because this has a real lightness and nuances in terms of the FEEL of the wine. However the smell is all rubber and tangy swamping fruit. Where is the tang and the acid and the lift? Not for me.
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An Offline for Luke (28-50, London): Wow, a very distinctive, slightly cool, minty mouthwash nose. Interesting, cool and quite complex but I keep coming back to the mintiness. Minty fresh attack with a nicely mellow dark red-fruited background but I can't get past the eucalyptus/mint thing. I wonder if this would I've been better in a different shaped glass? (ie not burg). *** but more if this is your thing
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A great Australian shiraz in maturity. Clearly Australian - wonderful American oak handling (very apparent oak, even at this stage). Dense prunes - seamless texture, refined presence. This makes a strong case for the traditional South Australian US oak aged shiraz. Is it worth its market value? No - -but it is great wine with a style that is individual to the region. 20 years old - this wine can take (and improve with) another 20 in good cellaring conditions.
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Henschke Heritage tasting with Paul Boothby (Prince Wine Store - Bank Street): 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.
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds & Henschke - Top Shelf Shiraz (Alio's, Surry Hills): [13.5%, cork] {Gordon} Double-decanted 3 hours earlier. As with last year’s tasting, the nose pretty much has a whole world of cured meats and spices on offer, although there’s a just slightly faded accent to the nose that the last bottle avoided. The palate is in fine form, still-fresh acid highlighting the developed delicatessen meat and red berry fruit flavours. There are composty and earthy notes – not leafy at all – with a translucence of texture that avoids any heaviness at all. Medium-full bodied, tannins so fine you’ve got to hunt them down, and a long, even balanced finish. Not the best example of this vintage I’ve had, but still a very fine wine. At peak and holding.
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NobleRottersSydney - Langtons Classification (Alio's, Surry Hills): [cork, 13.5%] Since the [1991] Edelstone was so good, what is to be said about Hill of Grace? My third tasting in eight years, and this remains one of the best wines I have tasted. A infinite kaleidoscope of aromas and flavours, with a spiced, almost-candy-like sweetness settling like fairy-dust over the plummy red-berry fruits. Discreet oak offers more texture than aroma/flavour, fine tannins and soft acid work together to hold up this remarkable wine. It seems youthful yet developed at the same time, at once powerful yet exquisite, forceful yet delicate. Lush, voluptuous, yet still structured; it’s like a Rachmaninoff symphony in a glass. There’s something different in every mouthful, its cloak of silken development revealing a different aspect the longer you taste it. Seems looser-knit than my last taste 4-5 years ago, but no less seductive for than. More Burgundy than Bordeaux, it’s more sensuous than cerebral, and remains a privilege to taste. Plenty of time left too, although it’s hard to grasp that it could get better than this. Bravo!
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I enjoyed this bottle. It was old and pruney, but there was still fruit and a port like characteristic. No doubt something was off as a 1990 HOG should still be kicking good, although it tasted 35 years old, the elements were good
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A significant improvement over the previous bottle. Still, somewhat of a strange bottle with a pruney, cooked component superimposed on HoG's more characteristic feminine styling. Red fruit and herbal nose. More brown sugar and porty flavors on the palate. Lighter bodied with a more acidic rather than really structured profile. Most likely heat damaged at some point, but a drinkable bottle.
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Vile old nose - varnishy and pruney. Tolerable, but unremarkable palate with light fruit, brown sugar, and harsh acidity. No improvement over the night - eventually poured out.
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Nice complexity on the nose. Cherry, raspberry, blackberry and very well integrated oak. Palate has good structure but is powerful and intense as well. Perhaps maybe just a touch of acid sticking out on the palate to disrupt what is otherwise a wine with a very long life ahead of it.
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NobleRottersSydney - Blind Shiraz Options 88, 90, 92 (Lucio's, Paddington): {cork, 13.5%} Vast amounts of sediment here; some deft glasswork eventually sees a clearer sample of this still dark red wine. One lungful of the powerhouse aromas and the game’s up here. I still remember this wine from four years ago, and it hasn’t moved an inch. 1990 Hill of Grace. Spice, earth, red fruits, raspberries, tar, chocolate, coffee – it’s all here. A tiny whiff of brett adds to the complexity. The palate is powerful yet proportioned, the finest-grained tannins roll to all corners of the mouth. Sweet fruit with a kaleidoscope of flavours, a perfectly integrated and eternally long finish, glorious structure. This wine has it all. A privilege to drink
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NobleRottersSydney - Blind Shiraz Options 1991 or prior (Darling Mills, Glebe): Geoffrey’s opening options question was “So, what’s this wine?” Coupled with a beautiful nose of spice, blackcurrant, and a little meatiness, it left few choices. I reckoned it was 88 HoG, which turned out to be close. In retrospect, I don’t recall the 88, which I drank 3 times in 6 months in 99, being quite so fine. This wine is wonderfully tight and focussed, with magnificent balance. I find it quite impossible to pick out aspects of the wine to comment upon, it’s so “of a piece”. Subtle tannins, integrated utterly, woven with a fine acid cut and changing hues of currants, a hint of pepper, and a long even finish are the signs of a class act. Quite stunning in every respect. I think we’re slowly drinking our way through Geoffrey’s case of this wine. I’ll look forward to the rest!
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11/9/2023 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Hint so smoke, delicious, inviting, seductive Shiraz palate and finish
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10/31/2023 - chatters wrote:
Phil's impromptu tasting fun (Phil's place, Putney, Sydney): From Coravin. Plenty of spice which proves peppery, assisted by a touch of alcohol prickle, a little brambly fruit, leather, black tea, baked earth. Juicy, black hued, brambly fruit is ripe but not overripe, leathery tannins are graining grippy, long, pretty good.
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4/9/2021 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
During a blind tasting dinner. Nose of Tobacco, sweet sugar molasses, dark fruit, earthy, woody notes. I guessed Syrah but not Australia as this was very elegant. A Wow wine and rare bird. 96+
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2/17/2020 - Marc wrote: 94 Points
Post Beethoven Dinner (Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Gorgeous example - massive bottle age character allied with intense and rich shiraz fruit. The American oak is certainly very noticeable, but the overall effect is one of opulence, intensity, complexity and a rich balance. Only a hint of a nutty oxidative aspect, which married incredibly well with a lamb stock reduction with walnut oil. A superb example of classic South Australia shiraz, that has aged to a multifaceeted wine.
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2/7/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 91 Points
Candied fruit, sandalwood, cedar and violets. Elegant but you would expect more for a HOG. But generally inline with the older HOG I had.
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7/10/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red berries, spice and candy fruit. Silky and weightless on the palate but lacking complexity. Drinking at its peak. Drink up.
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5/10/2019 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Friday Night with the Beasts (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Opened and left to breath for a good hour. We did not decant but for no apparent reason.
This is very very different to what we expected it to be. More Rhone syrah than Aussie Shiraz. With restraint and effortless balance, silky, still very much with a solid core of fruit. Good energy still and has a really long life ahead. What this has that is unique is that it lacks that milky/lactic side we usually come across with Aussie Shiraz ( Including HoG). We wonder if there was at some point a change towards the riper more Parker style. Amazing wine and a solid 95. Lots of life here and with nice evolution unlike Grange that doesnt seem to ever change..
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4/20/2019 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium weight colour. Ruby red.
Red berries, soy, liquorice,
Silky, a lovely blend of dark spice and red berries. Refined, silky tannins, great structure. Floats on the palate.
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3/15/2019 - Tony1157 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of fruit flavour, but a little bit port-like on the finish now. Drink up
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12/11/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Acker BYO 2018 (Tribeca Grille): Was excited to get to try this again. On the nose it really seems more like Bordeaux. Lots of leather and cigar and tobacco. Still nice fruits. Drinking very well right now.
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10/12/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was an interesting one. Poured the first glass and it was alright, but not great. Let it sit in the glass and got a bit more air. Was really tasting quite nicely with a bit more time. It's got a nice depth of fruit and and balance to it. Wish I'd had a bit more. But definitely a really tasty one.
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6/30/2018 - Rosina Likes this wine: 85 Points
Still drinking well. 1 bottle left in cellar. Probably paid $30 many years ago. Would not purchase these days because of ridiculous price but still good to drink Aussie icon wine.
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5/12/2018 - KCC320 wrote: 96 Points
Pnp. Very ready after an hour.
Nose: Dark chocolate , mint, violet, very aromatic.
Palate: resolved Tannin, smooth fruit, creamy , meaty , violet. Long and fully matured ! A bit fuller body than i expected.
Seemed the best HOG i 've tried (91/92/95/98/01), if you like a more fruity version of HOG, 90 was not to be missed!
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4/29/2018 - Marc wrote: 92 Points
John and Chris come to Luggate! (Luggate, New Zealand): Late maturity. Very harmonious, gentle fruit, great balance, soft, raspberry and pruney fruit, signifiant bottle age. A touch of tawny port/maderisation. Beautiful acid core, which gives a great core of intensity and focus. Very complex, very Australian. This is brilliant for its age, and is certainly outstanding, if not transcendent. Ageing well, in a specific style, considering the softer US oak style in which this was constructed.
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12/9/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine:
1990 HENSCHKE HILL OF GRACE SHIRAZ EDEN VALLEY- from the esteemed vineyard planted in 1958, this big dude blasted the palate with some heat and expansive notes of pepper, spicy, rich and super ripe blackberry fruit with Port like intensity even with some degree of sweetness; in fact, in a blind tasting, I call this a Port.
When researching this extremely pricy wine, I found this: “Hill of Grace: this surely is one of the most evocative phrases in the world of wine. It is a translation from the German 'Gnadenberg', a region in Silesia, and the name given to the lovely Lutheran Church across the road.”
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11/29/2017 - SlimShaney wrote: 90 Points
Smells just like it should. Aged SA shiraz. A scent I know well. And palate to match. Plenty of copper. Some raisin.
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8/27/2017 - thebatcavewines Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow! Just wow! Amazingly aged shiraz with elegance and balance. Chocolate, raspberry, plum, prunes and blackberries on the nose. The finish was long & beautiful like a song from the 30's. I decanted the wine for 8 hours. I think it could have even gone another 3-5 years. Just so so good & a privilege to drink. Had i kept it down another few years i think i could have rated it 98 or 99.
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12/4/2016 - drjb Does not like this wine: 89 Points
The least of a great lunch of great wines ! Advanced for age and pedigree with some reductive characters and plenty of old leather and earth. Some pleasant herbal and cherry characters and quite fine tannin and length suggesting a better wine was present some years ago. Given its reputation I would regard as an advanced bottle.
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8/17/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
SLDS August 2016: Chocolate, meat, raspberry, plum and blackberries on the nose, with a touch of menthol coming in behind. Really well balanced at this point, with all the components in sync. Very long and feels like it is drinking close to, or at its peak.
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6/29/2016 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wonderful aged shiraz with amazing elegance and balance. Not rich or powerful, but persistent in flavour and with fascinating bouquet in the undergrowth and forest floor range.
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1/22/2016 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 95 Points
A beautiful wine, silky, very long flavours, fine tannins.
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6/29/2015 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazingly fresh wine, with lovely acid balance and elegance. Not a big wine, and one to be savoured. Wonderful with rich hearty meat dishes at Grossi Florentino. Lovely line and length with touch of mintiness.
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6/1/2015 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Henschke (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {cork, 13.5%} (Gordon) Double-decanted two hours earlier. Offers all the spice-tinged perfume of this wine at its greatest; red fruits, soft old oak, seductive fresh compost. The palate is medium/full-bodied, seamless and round, with soft dusty tannins, medium acid, and a whole er, kaleidoscope of flavours; blackberry, coffee, spice, malt. Tobacco, too; and the perfume of the wine just grows in the glass. The palate is long and even, not brutal but gently sweet. A triumphantly great wine, well into the realm of bottle variation now, in comparison with the last bottle we tasted with this provenance back in 2010. Will probably hold a while longer, but clearly with some risk.
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12/24/2014 - Avid Wino wrote: 95 Points
Stained crumbly cork. Once removed, aroma filled the room, big attractive nose. Plums, leather, liquorice, intense core of fruit sweetness that may unwind and reveal more in years to come. Powerful, yet mellow and balanced. Impressive finish. Drunk in a vertical with the '91 and '92, all agreed this was the pick of the bunch.
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12/13/2013 - pjaines Does not like this wine:
Okay, maybe I am not an Aussie Shiraz guy. Lots of rubber and wooly fruit over the tongue - the nose really gets in the way of the palate here which is a shame because this has a real lightness and nuances in terms of the FEEL of the wine. However the smell is all rubber and tangy swamping fruit. Where is the tang and the acid and the lift? Not for me.
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5/8/2012 - SimonG wrote: 89 Points
An Offline for Luke (28-50, London): Wow, a very distinctive, slightly cool, minty mouthwash nose. Interesting, cool and quite complex but I keep coming back to the mintiness. Minty fresh attack with a nicely mellow dark red-fruited background but I can't get past the eucalyptus/mint thing. I wonder if this would I've been better in a different shaped glass? (ie not burg). *** but more if this is your thing
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12/31/2010 - Marc wrote: 95 Points
A great Australian shiraz in maturity. Clearly Australian - wonderful American oak handling (very apparent oak, even at this stage). Dense prunes - seamless texture, refined presence. This makes a strong case for the traditional South Australian US oak aged shiraz. Is it worth its market value? No - -but it is great wine with a style that is individual to the region. 20 years old - this wine can take (and improve with) another 20 in good cellaring conditions.
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9/7/2010 - AlexGarner Likes this wine: 99 Points
Henschke Heritage tasting with Paul Boothby (Prince Wine Store - Bank Street): 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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7/5/2010 - graemeg Likes this wine:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds & Henschke - Top Shelf Shiraz (Alio's, Surry Hills): [13.5%, cork] {Gordon} Double-decanted 3 hours earlier. As with last year’s tasting, the nose pretty much has a whole world of cured meats and spices on offer, although there’s a just slightly faded accent to the nose that the last bottle avoided. The palate is in fine form, still-fresh acid highlighting the developed delicatessen meat and red berry fruit flavours. There are composty and earthy notes – not leafy at all – with a translucence of texture that avoids any heaviness at all. Medium-full bodied, tannins so fine you’ve got to hunt them down, and a long, even balanced finish. Not the best example of this vintage I’ve had, but still a very fine wine. At peak and holding.
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6/8/2009 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Langtons Classification (Alio's, Surry Hills): [cork, 13.5%] Since the [1991] Edelstone was so good, what is to be said about Hill of Grace? My third tasting in eight years, and this remains one of the best wines I have tasted. A infinite kaleidoscope of aromas and flavours, with a spiced, almost-candy-like sweetness settling like fairy-dust over the plummy red-berry fruits. Discreet oak offers more texture than aroma/flavour, fine tannins and soft acid work together to hold up this remarkable wine. It seems youthful yet developed at the same time, at once powerful yet exquisite, forceful yet delicate. Lush, voluptuous, yet still structured; it’s like a Rachmaninoff symphony in a glass. There’s something different in every mouthful, its cloak of silken development revealing a different aspect the longer you taste it. Seems looser-knit than my last taste 4-5 years ago, but no less seductive for than. More Burgundy than Bordeaux, it’s more sensuous than cerebral, and remains a privilege to taste. Plenty of time left too, although it’s hard to grasp that it could get better than this. Bravo!
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11/28/2008 - zimmy07 wrote:
I enjoyed this bottle. It was old and pruney, but there was still fruit and a port like characteristic. No doubt something was off as a 1990 HOG should still be kicking good, although it tasted 35 years old, the elements were good
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11/21/2008 - psmith wrote:
A significant improvement over the previous bottle. Still, somewhat of a strange bottle with a pruney, cooked component superimposed on HoG's more characteristic feminine styling. Red fruit and herbal nose. More brown sugar and porty flavors on the palate. Lighter bodied with a more acidic rather than really structured profile. Most likely heat damaged at some point, but a drinkable bottle.
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6/28/2008 - psmith wrote: flawed
Vile old nose - varnishy and pruney. Tolerable, but unremarkable palate with light fruit, brown sugar, and harsh acidity. No improvement over the night - eventually poured out.
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4/8/2006 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Nice complexity on the nose. Cherry, raspberry, blackberry and very well integrated oak. Palate has good structure but is powerful and intense as well. Perhaps maybe just a touch of acid sticking out on the palate to disrupt what is otherwise a wine with a very long life ahead of it.
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7/4/2005 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Blind Shiraz Options 88, 90, 92 (Lucio's, Paddington): {cork, 13.5%} Vast amounts of sediment here; some deft glasswork eventually sees a clearer sample of this still dark red wine. One lungful of the powerhouse aromas and the game’s up here. I still remember this wine from four years ago, and it hasn’t moved an inch. 1990 Hill of Grace. Spice, earth, red fruits, raspberries, tar, chocolate, coffee – it’s all here. A tiny whiff of brett adds to the complexity. The palate is powerful yet proportioned, the finest-grained tannins roll to all corners of the mouth. Sweet fruit with a kaleidoscope of flavours, a perfectly integrated and eternally long finish, glorious structure. This wine has it all. A privilege to drink
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11/5/2001 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Blind Shiraz Options 1991 or prior (Darling Mills, Glebe): Geoffrey’s opening options question was “So, what’s this wine?” Coupled with a beautiful nose of spice, blackcurrant, and a little meatiness, it left few choices. I reckoned it was 88 HoG, which turned out to be close. In retrospect, I don’t recall the 88, which I drank 3 times in 6 months in 99, being quite so fine. This wine is wonderfully tight and focussed, with magnificent balance. I find it quite impossible to pick out aspects of the wine to comment upon, it’s so “of a piece”. Subtle tannins, integrated utterly, woven with a fine acid cut and changing hues of currants, a hint of pepper, and a long even finish are the signs of a class act. Quite stunning in every respect. I think we’re slowly drinking our way through Geoffrey’s case of this wine. I’ll look forward to the rest!
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