Henschke Mount Edelstone – 70 Years of Single-Focused Excellence
A group of wine journalists from Australia and overseas, who gathered at the historic Henschke cellars in Eden Valley, had the privilege of tasting 26 vintages of the famous Mount Edelstone shiraz, including the latest 2022, to mark the 70th vintage since the first release of 1952.
It was an honour to be there and provided a rare glimpse of the evolution and influences that have created this iconic Australian wine.
The wines were tasted in brackets, and I have attached my tasting notes on these wines for you.
In addition, there was a healthy and robust discussion of the wines in each bracket, with contributions from Stephen and Prue Henschke, their son Johann, and new senior winemaker Gwyn Olsen, plus of course, input and thoughts from the wine journalists.
From this discussion, I have created a summary of the key aspects of each decade.
1950s and 1960s
Cyril’s Leap of Faith and a decade of natural expression
In the 1950s, Henschke was not yet the global fine wine name it would become. It was a fourth-generation family farm in the Eden Valley, working much as it always had, sheep in the paddocks, orchards and vegetable gardens nearby, and vines woven into the rhythm of mixed agriculture. Wine was not separate from life. It was part of it.
The roots of that mindset ran deep. The Silesian families who settled the Barossa carried with them a culture of fermentation and preservation. Milk became cheese. Cabbage became sauerkraut. Meat was cured and smoked after the annual pig slaughter. Fruit was dried or fermented. Wine, in that world, was not a luxury item or a status symbol. It was a practical answer to abundance and seasonality, a way of storing energy from the land.
By the 1950s, however, Australia itself was changing. Post-war immigration reshaped food and drink culture. Italian and Greek cafés appeared. European eating habits began to influence local tastes. Slowly, table wine started to find a broader audience beyond traditional fortified drinkers.
Cyril Henschke sensed that shift. Though trained in the fortified tradition that dominated Australian wine, he believed the future lay in fine table wines. That belief led him to double down on sites like Mount Edelstone, an old shiraz vineyard in the Eden Valley whose potential he trusted instinctively. At the time, this was not an obvious decision. Fortified wines were commercially reliable. Fine table wine required patience, restraint and faith in a market that barely existed.
Winemaking in that era was simple but thoughtful. Fermentations relied on native yeasts. Temperature control meant pumping bore water through coils in open vats. Concrete tanks were lined with wax each year to prevent unwanted reactions between the acidic must and alkaline cement. These were not laboratory solutions; they were practical refinements developed through experience.
A defining feature was submerged cap fermentation. By keeping the skins beneath the surface during fermentation, Cyril reduced oxidation and limited volatile acidity. Extraction was gentle. Aromatics were preserved. The aim was fragrance and suppleness rather than heaviness. Ferments were often pressed off before complete dryness to avoid hard, coarse tannins. The result was shiraz with fine structure and clarity of fruit, a style that would become synonymous with Mount Edelstone.
In the vineyard, spacing reflected its nineteenth-century origins, wide enough for horses to cultivate between rows. Trellising was basic. Yields varied with the season. Yet the elevation and cool nights of the Eden Valley preserved natural acidity, even when grapes were harvested at relatively high sugar levels, a legacy of fortified picking traditions.
Oak influence was subtle. Large, seasoned barrels were used, not to flavour the wine but to allow it to mature slowly. Wines were often shipped in barrel to merchants who bottled under their own labels. There was little talk of branding or prestige.
What defined the 1950s at Henschke was quiet conviction. There were no grand statements, no international ambitions. Just a belief in site, a respect for inherited knowledge, and a willingness to gently shift direction. The foundations laid at Mount Edelstone during that decade would shape everything that followed.
1970s
Decade of Euro-style elegance
The 1970s were a decade of recalibration at Henschke. The prevailing criticism of the time was aimed squarely at the Barossa’s reputation for power, big, alcoholic, heavily extracted reds. Across Australia, and increasingly in response to European benchmarks, there was a growing appetite for greater elegance and finesse.
At the same time, red wine itself faced a period of public scepticism. Research circulating through the Australian Wine Research Institute suggested histamines in red wine might be responsible for headaches. The claim gained traction, casting a shadow over red wine consumption, before it was later observed that foods such as cheese often contained higher histamine levels. Still, the damage was done for a time. Winemakers felt the pressure, stylistically and commercially.
Within that climate, the response at Henschke was not reactionary but evolutionary. There was a deliberate move toward refinement: gentler extraction, more fragrance, more savoury detail. Heavy pressings were frequently sold off, sometimes interstate, leaving the core wines finer in tannin and more restrained in profile. The 1970s Mount Edelstone wines reflect that thinking. They retained their Eden Valley spice, sage, pepper, dark plum and blackberry, but carried themselves with greater poise.
The early part of the decade produced particularly distinguished vintages. The 1972 is often singled out for its balance and expressive charm, while 1973 combined structure and longevity. Later, 1978 and 1979 continued in that elegant vein. Even as styles shifted, there remained a consistent thread: Mount Edelstone’s fragrance, its east-facing slope lending perfume and savoury nuance rather than sheer mass.
Operationally, the winery was still modest. Reds were hand bottled using a trough-and-spout filler through much of the decade. Initially, wines were run directly from barrel to bottle, which could accentuate individual barrel variation. Toward the end of the 1970s, a small stainless-steel bottling tank was installed in the old stone cellars, allowing multiple barrels to be blended prior to bottling. It marked a quiet but important step toward greater consistency.
By this time, two single-vineyard wines defined the cellar: Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace. The latter, first bottled in 1958 from century-old vines near the Gnadenberg Church, ripened slightly earlier each year than Mount Edelstone due to its more northerly position. Its west-facing aspect gave it greater structural weight and power. Mount Edelstone, facing east, was typically more open-knit, perfumed and savoury.
Public perception evolved gradually. Mount Edelstone had volume and visibility; it was the wine people sought out along dusty Eden Valley roads. Hill of Grace, smaller in production and priced a little higher, slowly captured imaginations. Its evocative name and intrinsic longevity built demand, and over time it assumed the mantle of flagship. Yet tastings through the 1970s often revealed Mount Edelstone as the more immediately generous wine, while Hill of Grace showed its capacity for long ageing.
Behind the scenes, Cyril had also begun holding back museum stock, partly to service restaurant clients without cellar space. When older vintages were reviewed and reconditioned in the late 1970s and early 1980s, cork taint proved surprisingly low, though significant volume had been lost to cork failure, a growing frustration for winemakers of the era.
The 1970s at Henschke were not about reinvention. They were about refinement, preserving vineyard identity while steering Barossa shiraz toward elegance.
1980s
Decade of young trained winemaker influence
The 1980s were a transformative decade for Henschke, marked by a blending of traditional Barossa heritage and the influence of international study. Stephen and Prue Henschke had the opportunity to study at Geisenheim University under Professor Helmut Becker, whose expertise in small-block winemaking and vine genetics opened their eyes to new possibilities. They returned with fresh ideas about viticulture, varietal selection, and winemaking techniques, a paradigm shift that would influence the quality and style of Mount Edelstone wines for decades.
Temperature control became a major focus. Open fermenters, previously a limitation, were complemented with advanced cooling systems learned from Germany, and filtration methods were introduced to improve clarity and consistency. Laboratory analyses, inspired by simple but effective German techniques, allowed the team to monitor wines more precisely.
Oak management also evolved. The Henschkes worked on improving barrel quality and seasoning techniques. They explored American and French oak, experimenting with firing methods and extending seasoning to several years to achieve the desired subtlety, avoiding harsh “bourbon” flavours. These changes brought a refinement and balance that would become a hallmark of Mount Edelstone.
The decade also saw the first Henschke exports, including to the UK. Domestically, partnerships with distributors such as Arch Baker helped establish the wines across Australia, supporting a more confident pricing strategy that reflected their premium nature.
The 1980s were also a period of operational refinement. Hand bottling continued early in the decade, with wines initially filled directly from barrel. By the mid-to-late 1980s, dedicated bottling tanks allowed multiple barrels to be blended before bottling, ensuring greater consistency while still preserving the individuality of single-vineyard wines.
Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace continued to assert their distinct identities. Hill of Grace, with its west-facing aspect and century-old vines, offered structure and longevity, while the east-facing Mount Edelstone was more perfumed, spicy and elegant. Both vineyards were carefully managed to ensure they remained true to their unique characters, from picking schedules to fermentation practices.
By the mid-1980s, a shift in style became apparent. The wines displayed freshness, vibrancy, and bright acidity, while maintaining the savory spice and dark fruit profile characteristic of Mount Edelstone. Standout vintages, such as 1986, captured attention for their balance and clarity, representing a defining moment in the evolution of the wine. Other years, like 1988, showed riper fruit, but with restrained alcohol, preserving harmony and consistency across the decade.
Above all, the 1980s were a decade of learning, experimentation, and refinement. International exposure, improved technology, oak management, and meticulous vineyard attention coalesced to elevate Mount Edelstone. It was a period when knowledge, experience, and responsibility converged, producing wines that combined elegance, freshness, and a clear sense of place, setting the stage for Henschke’s future acclaim.
1990s
Decade of viticulturist influence
The 1990s at Henschke were defined by precision, experimentation, and the pursuit of even greater elegance in Mount Edelstone shiraz. Guided by viticultural expertise from both local and international sources, the decade saw a clear evolution in vineyard management that directly shaped the style and quality of the wines.
One of the most significant innovations was the introduction of the Scott Henry trellis system. With guidance from Patrick Ireland, who had a PhD on Shiraz, the team experimented with different trellis styles in the late 1980s, ultimately adopting Scott Henry around 1992.
This system split the canopy, pulling half of the shoots downward, creating thinner, more open canopies that allowed even ripening, better light penetration, and balanced fruit. Trials showed that simpler vertical shoot positioning (VSP) could not achieve the same level of fruit exposure with the vineyard’s vigorous growth, and the new trellis required additional labour and roughly 30% higher production costs. Yet the quality benefits were unmistakable: deeper colour, fully mature tannins, and no traces of green or unripe flavours.
Yield management also became more precise. Bunch thinning, sometimes down to one bunch per shoot, allowed ripening to be carefully controlled and advanced by up to two weeks when necessary. Even in high-yield years, such as 1990 when production exceeded 100 tonnes, meticulous canopy and bunch management preserved intensity, structure, and velvety tannins. These interventions reinforced Mount Edelstone’s signature textural elegance while maintaining balance and complexity.
The vineyard’s microvariations were carefully respected. Different blocks on the Mount Edelstone slope produced subtle nuances in fruit, tannin, and mid-palate intensity. Harvesting followed a logical progression, typically from top to bottom of the slope or north to south, based on flavour and tannin maturity rather than arbitrary timing. This block-by-block approach contributed to a layered, harmonious final wine that reflected the vineyard’s full tapestry.
Scientific insight also informed viticulture. Research from Oregon highlighted the role of sunlight in developing quercetin, a natural “sunblock” compound in grapes that influences anthocyanin, phenol, and tannin formation. This understanding validated the canopy strategies being implemented at Mount Edelstone: sufficient light exposure without risking sunburn was essential for optimal phenolic development, colour, and flavour.
In summary, the 1990s were a golden decade for Mount Edelstone, where careful trellis management, yield control, and scientific insight combined to elevate the vineyard’s expression. These innovations solidified Shiraz’s balance, depth, and elegance, qualities that continue to define its identity today.
2000s
Decade of refined style
The 2000s at Henschke were marked by refinement, experimentation, and adaptation to both climate trends and new winemaking technologies. This decade saw Mount Edelstone evolve further in style, precision, and consistency.
A key factor was the change in closure, which allowed for much greater consistency in the bottle and the ability to observe how wines evolved over decades. This stability provided the winemaking team with confidence in presenting wines that reflected the vineyard and vintage with clarity and purity.
The era also coincided with a warming and drying trend in South Australia, compared to the 1990s. These climatic shifts naturally reduced yields, concentrating fruit and enhancing flavour. Careful vineyard practices, including trellis management, bunch thinning, and canopy control, continued to play a vital role in shaping balance, tannin maturity, and textural elegance in the wines. Even in years of extreme heat, such as 2001, one of the hottest summers on record, the wines retained remarkable structure and flavor depth, while cooler seasons, like 2002, demonstrated a slower ripening curve that produced wines with exceptional finesse and aromatic complexity.
During this period, winemaking experimentation expanded significantly. The team built custom stainless steel fermenters with optimal volume-to-surface ratios, submerged caps, and controllable pumping systems, enabling detailed manipulation of fermentation conditions. Oak selection also became more nuanced, with precise combinations of new and seasoned oak, French and American staves, matched carefully to vineyard expression. These innovations allowed the wines to achieve a balance of richness, concentration, and elegance that defined the modern Mount Edelstone style.
The 2000s also introduced technological advances such as glass closures. These closures preserved purity and fragrance for decades, offering a practical complement to screwcap adoption, which would become standard later. Implementing these innovations was part of a broader commitment to quality, including one of Australia’s first ISO 9000-certified quality management systems in 1998, ensuring meticulous attention to handling and customer satisfaction.
Climate challenges also prompted advances in vineyard management. The decade included periods of severe drought, particularly leading into 2007. To mitigate stress, mulching techniques, led by Prue, were applied across the vineyard. Straw mulch reduced basal leaf drop, preserved canopy health, mitigated berry collapse, and enhanced water retention in the soil. These practices, combined with later subsoil irrigation from 2014 onwards, ensured vines could maintain vigor, tannin development, and fruit quality even under extreme heat. Mulching also subtly modified microclimate conditions, reducing temperature extremes at the soil level and lowering disease pressure.
The wines of the 2000s reflect this meticulous attention to both vineyard and cellar. Vintage examples such as 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2006 display a combination of richness and concentration with freshness and finesse, demonstrating the results of technical mastery, climatic adaptation, and careful experimentation. Through careful monitoring of tannin development, flavor progression, and canopy balance, Mount Edelstone wines of this decade achieved remarkable elegance while maintaining the vineyard’s signature textural and aromatic profile.
In summary, the 2000s at Mount Edelstone were a period of refinement, experimentation, and resilience. From innovative closures to advanced vineyard practices and climate adaptation, the decade produced wines of depth, balance, and expressive power, consolidating Mount Edelstone’s reputation as a benchmark of Australian Shiraz.
2010s
Decade of purity and regenerative viticulture
The 2010s and early 2020s at Henschke have been defined by a deepening commitment to vineyard health, regenerative practices, and climate resilience, alongside continued refinement in winemaking. Mount Edelstone has benefited enormously from biodynamic-inspired approaches and regenerative agriculture, with careful attention to maintaining the vitality of soils, canopy, and fruit quality.
Native flowering plants have been strategically incorporated along vineyard rows, providing natural ecosystem services that support pollinators, soil health, and long-term sustainability. These interventions aim to ensure the vineyard remains productive and resilient for the next several decades, with Brooke and her team overseeing these programs.
The decade has also presented significant climatic challenges. Rather than gradual warming, South Australian vineyards have experienced increasingly extreme events, from heatwaves to sudden frost and hail. Frost frequency, for example, has risen from one or two events per season to eight or 10 in recent years, with particularly devastating episodes occurring in unusual locations due to changes in polar air patterns. Such extremes have required adaptation in both vineyard management and winemaking, balancing vine stress with the development of flavors, tannins, and berry integrity.
Water management has become a central focus. Historically relying solely on rainwater, the winery has embraced solar energy, battery storage, composting, and carbon reduction initiatives to minimize environmental impact. Mulching techniques, first introduced in previous decades, continue to be applied extensively to reduce basal leaf drop, retain soil moisture, and buffer extreme temperatures at the root zone. While straw mulch mitigates heat stress and preserves canopy health, prolonged dry winters have necessitated subsoil irrigation to maintain fruit quality, tannin development, and overall vine vigor.
Winemaking techniques have also evolved. Since 2012, the team has emphasized precision in fruit selection, including meticulous berry and bunch sorting to avoid diseased or shriveled grapes. Oak management has continued to advance, with careful integration of French and American staves to enhance aromatics, balance, and structural definition. These efforts have allowed Mount Edelstone wines to achieve a remarkable purity, aromatic clarity, and structural finesse, even in youthful vintages.
The decade reflects both experimentation and continuity. Extreme droughts, particularly in 2019, highlighted the need for climate adaptation, while vintages from 2010 through 2022 demonstrate a consistent character and identity that has carried through the vineyard’s history. The wines exhibit balance, structure, and subtle herbal notes, showing both the resilience of the vineyard and the meticulous attention of the winemaking team.
Beyond technical measures, Mount Edelstone has also focused on sustainability and carbon-conscious practices, including solar energy, carbon sequestration, and closed-loop waste systems. The winery strives to maintain ecological integrity while producing wines that express both vintage and vineyard identity.
In summary, the 2010s–2020s at Mount Edelstone have been characterised by resilience, ecological stewardship, and refinement. Through regenerative agriculture, climate-responsive vineyard practices, and meticulous winemaking, these decades have produced wines that are youthful yet structured, rich yet balanced, and unmistakably expressive of the vineyard’s character. The consistency of style and purity across these challenging years underscores Mount Edelstone’s ongoing position as a benchmark of Australian Shiraz.
Mount Edelstone – from the beginning
When Cyril Henschke decided, pretty much the current thinking of the time, to produce a single vineyard wine from shiraz vines planted in 1912, he could not have imagined that 70 years on it would be recognized as one of Australia’s most iconic and individual wines.
In many ways, it was a brave decision, because at the time, most wine consumed in Australia was fortified and a lot of the rest was cobbled together from different varieties from different locations.
The story begins in the early years of European settlement in South Australia. In 1839, German geologist Johann Menge surveyed land in the Barossa ranges on behalf of George Fife Angas, whose investment helped establish the new colony. Land in the fertile region along the North Para River eventually passed through the Angas family.
The Mount Edelstone vineyard was planted much later. In 1912, Angas descendant Ronald Angas established a vineyard on the eastern slopes of Mount Edelstone near the family homestead, Hutton Vale.
The site was unusual for the time because it was planted entirely to shiraz, rather than mixed varieties typical of early Australian vineyards. The dry-grown vines were established on ancient red-brown clay loam soils derived from geological formations more than 500 million years old, conditions that naturally limited yields and promoted concentration in the fruit.
The vineyard’s name reflects the area’s geological character. “Edelstone” is derived from the German “Edelstein,” meaning gemstone, referring to small yellow opals that were once found in the area.
The major turning point came in the early 1950s when grapes from the vineyard were offered to winemaker Cyril Henschke. In 1952, he bottled the first wine labelled specifically from the site, called Mount Edelstone Claret, making it one of the earliest recognised single-vineyard wines in Australia.
The wine quickly gained attention for its quality. The 1956 vintage became particularly significant, winning major awards in Adelaide, Sydney, and Melbourne and helping establish Mount Edelstone as one of the leading expressions of Australian shiraz during the formative years of modern table wine production.
That 1956 was included in the special 70th anniversary tasting attended by leading wine journalists and totally defied its age, still drinking quite beautifully. My notes on that wine are in this section.
The vineyard remained in the Angas family until 1974, when Cyril Henschke purchased the vineyard from Colin Angas, securing long-term control of the site and ensuring that the wine would remain under the stewardship of the Henschke family.
By that stage, Mount Edelstone had already achieved a strong reputation among Australia’s benchmark reds.
Today, the vineyard remains planted with many centenarian, ungrafted shiraz vines, dry-grown and managed with careful viticultural practices to maintain their health and longevity. The wine continues to be produced every vintage and is widely regarded as one of the longest continuously produced single-vineyard wines in Australia.
Henschke Mount Edelstone has become a benchmark for Eden Valley shiraz, celebrated for its distinctive savoury spice, herbal complexity and longevity. Its enduring reputation reflects the rare combination of historic vines, a distinctive site, and over a century of continuity between vineyard and family winemaking tradition.
Key Dates
1839 – Johann Menge surveys Barossa land for George Fife Angas.
1912 – Ronald Angas plants the Mount Edelstone shiraz vineyard.
1952 – First Mount Edelstone wine bottled by Cyril Henschke.
1956 – Award-winning vintage establishes national reputation.
1974 – Henschke family purchases the vineyard.
Present – One of Australia’s longest continuously produced single-vineyard wines.
Mount Edelstone – the tasting
1956
Exceptional vintage
Above-average growing season rainfall, but a particularly dry and hot February and March led to low yields and an excellent year.
13.7%
A remarkable wine. Has a slight tawny colour, but in the main, it is still showing brightness and vibrancy. Subtle leathery nuances on the nose with a little library book dusty leather and spice. The palate is remarkable. Still with a subtle leather, chocolate, and cocoa-like character. Still retaining sweet fruit. The tannins are soft and supple, which is a characteristic of this vineyard and the winemaking process. A remarkable wine that totally belies its age. The fruit richness in this wine is just remarkable. After three hours, it was still tasting quite beautifully.
Score: 98/100
1958
Very good vintage
A dry winter and some spring frost, then dry right through to March. Recorded as a drought year in the record book. Early vintage with yields well below average. Extra header boards were used to enable good colour extraction and racked off skins between 0–4 Baumé.
14.7%
The colour is a palish tawny red which seems to defy its age. The nose shows a degree of volatility, but there is still some nice, sweet fruit in there. The palate has a firmish tannin profile with leather and dusty fruit in abundance. The finish is long and precise. There might be just a touch of cork taint here, but in the main, the wine is still in remarkable condition. There is a hint of sage bush and black pepper, which is also a vineyard character.
Score: 96/100
1965
Great vintage
Reasonable winter and spring rainfall. Very dry ripening period with no rain. Warm summer period with high temperatures in February, averaging 22.5C. Good yields and high quality.
13.6%
The colour is quite pale and translucent. The aromas are slightly subdued with a subtle fine leather and spicy character. There’s an almost toffee-like character. The palate shows a little dryness, but there is still some nice fruit within. Has a dry, savoury-like finish. The more this wine breathes, the more the sweet fruit emerges.
Score: 93/100
1966
Excellent vintage
Dry winter, frosty spring. A hot but dry year with low yields. Some fruit shriveling provided higher concentration of flavour. The drought did not break until after April.
14%
A slightly muted aroma, suggesting just a little tired and lacking fruit. It’s there, but a little more in the background. The palate has a balance and poise about it, with light-bodied fruit flavours emerging. There’s a subtle, volatile edge to the palate that carries through but is never intrusive. Dry, savoury, leathery finish. There is some delightful, sweet fruit here with a hint of sage and pepper evident. Has developed quite well.
Score: 96/100
1967
Great vintage
Another hot year with only average rainfall. High temperatures in January with twenty-two millimetres of rain. The drought did not break until after April.
14.1%
The wine is holding its colour really well. Slight tawny tinges on the rim. The aroma has a subtle leathery toffee-like character. The finish is slightly acidic, with a hint of volatile acidity, but it does not intrude. Has a spicy edge. Hints of macerated dried fruit and prune juice. The sweet fruit picks up on the finish. There is some nice, sweet fruit that emerges on the finish to complete an excellent wine. Just a faint hint of cork
Score: 96/100
1972
Excellent vintage reviewed to exceptional
Reasonable winter rains, moderate summer temperatures, and rainfall, hence reduced water stress. A dry autumn with no rain until June proved a classic year with near-perfect conditions.
14.3%
Colour is translucent with hints of tawny. But some deeper notes inside. The vineyard sage and pepper character is more evident in this wine. The palate has a slight viscosity, which is interesting; the first of this character was noted. Subtle, faint leather and spice on the nose and then into the palate. Sweet fruit is still evident. Just a lovely, balanced wine with a brightness and energy still evident.
Score: 96/100
1973
Good vintage reviewed to excellent
Poor winter rains saw the beginning of the dry period starting in September. A moderate to cool summer with good rainfall and a wet February. High temperatures in January, but it cooled off in February and March. Above-average yields provided ripe, rich wines.
14.5%
Colour is a little deeper and still showing a darkish middle with hints of tawny orange peel on the rims. The nose shows some nice dark chocolate and sage in perfect balance. IT seems to have a simpler fruit profile, but still very appealing. Has a long, dry finish after the sweetness of the still plump middle palate.
Score: 96/100
1978
Excellent vintage
A dry season with low yields and high quality.
14.2%
Colour is tawny and pale crimson. Aromas of dark chocolate, sage, and spice with a subtle leather spiciness. The palate displays a sage bush and black pepper nuance. It is supported by ripe, supple tannins that sit harmoniously within. A little black olive nuance and bay leaf add further complex notes, especially on the nose.
Score: 95/100
1979
Very good vintage
A warm summer with good rains followed by a hot vintage with high yields and ripe fruit.
14%
The colour is quite pale and translucent. The nose is relatively simple, without any obvious developed leatheriness. It does have a distinctive spicy character threading through the sweet fruit palate. Still holding remarkably well, but probably a simpler version, which is rather unusual given its age.
Score: 94/100
1982
Exceptional vintage
A very wet winter, mild spring, and a dry, generally mild summer except for a heatwave just before vintage. This vintage delivered above-average yields and full-bodied reds.
12.5%
Colour pale crimson and tawny. The aromas display a distinctive fragrance and perfume. The spicy savoury sage bush character emerges on the nose immediately. The palate is still showing excellent fruit with a sweetness balanced by that sage bush savoury influence. The tannins are fine and supple, and that vineyard acidity drives a long finish.
Score: 95/100
1984
Excellent vintage reviewed to exceptional
Good winter rains followed by a warm, dry spring and a mild summer with dry vintage conditions.
12%
Colour is a crimson slight tawny. Aromas of savoury sage bush and some distinctive black pepper. The first wine has a warmth on the palate. Has a slightly chewy tannin feel in the mouth. Complex maze of flavours built with fine precision through to the finish, Dry savoury finish. Looking a little tired.
Score: 94/100
1986
Exceptional vintage
A relatively dry winter with late rains, mild spring with excellent conditions for flowering and fruit set. The coolest summer since 1972, with a heatwave peaking at 42C in March, the hottest March day since 1943. A dry autumn with no rain after December.
12%
The colour is a deeper crimson and just a faint hint of developed tawny. The nose shows a powerful expression of sage and pepper with a savoury note. The palate is quite rich, although still medium-bodied with tremendous depth and power that gathers through to the long finish. It’s a wine that is drinking sublimely now but will certainly cellar for many more years. One of the great Barossa vintages.
Score: 98/100
1988
Excellent vintage
An eventful year. Excellent winter rains, hail damage in spring, rains during flowering, and a very hot summer with a week of intense heat in January, a cool misty February, and another ten-day heatwave at the end of March.
13.5%
Deep crimson and red with hints of tawny. This wine is showing more chocolate with the sage and pepper characters of the vineyard. The palate has that spicy pepper sage bush character with a light lift on the finish. There’s still a heap of sweet middle palate fruit evident that is balanced with a fine savoury pepper.
Score: 95/100
1990
Exceptional vintage
A picture-perfect season with good winter rains, perfect spring, mild summer, and excellent ripening conditions. The biggest yields on record comparative to the 1959, 1982, and 1986 vintages.
13.5%
A beautiful vintage that captures the Mount Edelstone style so wonderfully. It’s bright and vibrant with loads of fruit intensity. There is more dark fruit evident here, which shows immediately. It reflects riper fruit characters. Savoury, pepper and sage with ripe tannins in support. The oak is superbly underplayed.
Score: 97/100
1991
Great vintage reviewed to excellent
A short winter with below-average rainfall followed by a mild spring and early budburst and flowering. The warm to hot summer produced high sugar yields, great concentration, and low yields.
14%
This is a powerful wine, perhaps the most powerful of the wines so far. Has a slightly more tarry character, which is captured by the high alcohol. It’s a bigger and slightly firmer wine that reflects the vintage. There was some bottle variation, and others found this one of the very best of the tasting
Score: 96/100
1994
Exceptional vintage
A mild, dry summer resulted in a late, slow start to the 1994 vintage. March temperatures were mild to high, which had a dramatic effect, causing everything to ripen at once. The fruit quality was fantastic with below-average yields and exceptional colour, flavour and balance of acidity. The 1994 vintage was one of the best years on record.
14.2%
A riper style showing more black fruit characters evident immediately on the nose, with the firmer dark fruit of the middle palate emerging. Has a tarry and slightly savoury sage bush and black pepper character.
Score: 94/100
1996
Excellent vintage reviewed to exceptional
Average winter rainfall after two consecutive drought years. A mild spring, excellent flowering conditions, and a mild, cool, windy summer. A cool, dry autumn provided an exceptionally long and slow ripening period for excellent flavour development.
13.5%
This is a thoroughly beautiful wine. It’s soft and supple but captures everything about the vineyard in a great year. To me it reflects the 80’s structurally but then introduces a darker black fruit character. Such a complete and beautiful wine.
Score: 98/100
2001
Excellent vintage reviewed to exceptional
Good flowering and fruit set with one of the hottest summers recorded. Timely storms maintained humidity and vine moisture. Vintage was three weeks early, with extended warmth rapidly ripening berries.
14%
This is a wine that shows everything about Edelstone. The emergence of the darker fruit characters is quite evident. The colour is deep but still translucent. The nose shows more dark chocolate balancing the savoury pepper sage bush influences. Has a supple viscosity that coats the palate.
Score: 97/100
2002
Exceptional vintage
Following the hottest summer on record, 2002 was cool and windy with an unprecedentedly wet winter and spring. This impacted flowering and caused poor fruit set, leading to a very small crop. Vintage was delayed by three weeks due to the unseasonal cold weather. Despite the small crop, the balance of sugar, flavour, and natural acidity was excellent, making it one of the most exceptional vintages to date.
15%
The deepest and darkest of ay of the Edelstones so far. This is rich and opulent, but there is still restraint and poise that comes with the natural vineyard acidity and lively energy. The alcohol is 15%, which is about the highest. And yet it doesn’t have any dead fruit characters here.
Score: 94/100
2005
Exceptional vintage
Above-average winter rainfall led to a beautiful spring, which provided ideal flowering weather. A wet and wild summer with weekly thunderstorms helped maintain good subsoil moisture throughout the season. The result was an early, warm and fast-paced vintage, one of the best on record, with fantastic fruit quality and good yields.
14%
Deeper colour of reds and black. The aroma bursts out with a sage bush, pepper, and savoury herb. For the first time, I am seeing sweet fruit characters. It’s a slightly more opulent style. This was the first time the wines were under screw cap. Lovely opulent fruit characters with a more black olive influence starting to intrude, which is impressive. It’s a refined and elegant style, but with more weight and depth.
Score: 96/100
2006
Excellent vintage
The 2006 vintage shaped up as another high-quality year but with average yields. Winter and spring rains were the best in years ahead of flowering, although some varieties such as riesling and shiraz suffered more than others from poor set. Some frost damage occurred but with minimal impact on yield. Summer was mild with brief heatwaves early enough not to affect quality.
The colour is deep and dark with a reddy black mix. Aromas of sage and prune with a dark chocolate and pepper character. The palate is evenly balanced with the oak and tannin cradle working perfectly to carry the wine forward. Has a slightly grainy character, and it’s really captured the vineyard perfectly.
Score: 96/100
2010
Exceptional vintage
A wet winter replenished soil moisture. Spring was mild with rain continuing into early summer, making it the wettest year since 2005. Heat spikes and cool changes throughout summer resulted in the vintage starting early and producing exceptional quality fruit with great acid balance.
14.5%
This was one of the great Barossa and Eden Valley vintages. It’s elegant and stylish with lovely fruit characters. Spicy and savoury at the same time with plenty of sage and pepper evident. Has plenty of sweet fruit character and a lovely long finish. This captures the modern style of Mount Edelstone.
Score: 96/100
2012
Very good vintage
The La Niña pattern weakened in the lead-up to the 2012 vintage, resulting in below-average winter and spring rainfall. Spring was mild with few frost events. However, flowering and fruit set were affected by wet, drizzly weather, leading to average yields. Summer was mild, providing slow ripening which allowed for intense fruit flavours, high colour, high acidity and mature tannins.
14.5%
This is a solid season that captures the Edelstone character. The aromas and palate are more subdued than in some vintages. The savoury pepper characters are profoundly evident with great length and poise. Has a chewy palate characteristic. Lovely wine
Score: 95/100
2016
Exceptional vintage
Below-average winter rainfall was followed by a warm and dry spring, enhancing flowering and fruit set to give high yield potential. Low disease pressure was maintained by one of the hottest Decembers on record. Although temperatures cooled in the new year, rainfall in late January and early March eased stress. The fruit matured with an earlier harvest as predicted due to an early Easter and was characterised by average yields but very high quality.
14.5%
Incredibly deep colour. The deepest and darkest of any Edelstone so far. Shows more primary fruit characters than you might expect. It’s ripe and almost ipulernt yet there is the vineyard's bright acidity and great length that dries it through to the finish. This is a remarkably youthful and vibrant wine of great energy and drive. Love this wine.
Score: 98/100
2018
Exceptional vintage
A moderately wet winter was followed by ideal flowering conditions in late spring and early summer, leading to the potential for near-average yields. Late December became warm and dry, ensuring healthy canopies with low disease pressure. Late summer was typically warm and dry, characterised by above-average overnight temperatures. March and April provided light and warmth, leading to full and balanced maturity across all grape varieties. Shiraz was one of the highlights of the season, fittingly so in the year celebrating the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Henschke family winemaking.
14.5%
An elegant and stylish, less opulent wine to the ’16, but one that shares many of its characters. It’s bright and high energy with subtle purple, crimson notes to the colour. The palate is seamlessly integrated with fine tannins and lovely oak integration. Just a beautifully structured and elegant wine.
Score: 98/100
