Six of the very best - Henschke
Six new release wines from Henschke out of the 2022 vintage that make up their much vaunted single vineyard range have stamped this as a great vintage in Eden Valley. And two wines in particular have elevated it into rarefied air.
The six wines are the Hill of Grace shiraz, Hill of Roses shiraz, Mount Edelstone shiraz, the Wheelwright shiraz, the Cyril Henschke cabernet sauvignon, and Hill of Peace semillon.
The wines represent an incredible collection of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and semillon, but it is the extraordinary Hill of Grace and the Mount Edelstone that take the limelight.
The Mount Edelstone 2022 is the 70th vintage release from one of the oldest continuously made single vineyard wines in Australia. That is a significant achievement, and I was privileged to have been at a special tasting of 26 wines from each decade from 1956, still in remarkable condition, right through to 2022, to mark the occasion.
It was a tasting that pointed to the evolution of the wine started by Cyril Henschke back in 1952, that saw it emerge as a leap of faith at a time when most Australian wine was either blended or turned into fortified wines.
When Cyril Henschke decided to produce a single vineyard wine from shiraz vines planted in 1912, he could not have imagined that 70 years on, it would be recognised as one of Australia’s most iconic and individual wines.
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.
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.
While the Mount Edelstone ranks with the finest releases of these wines, it is the Hill of Grace that stands supreme. I have been fortunate to have tasted all but a few vintages of this wine that first saw the light of day in 1958, and the 2022 is, in my view, the best yet.
Readers of this column might recall my pronouncement last year that 2021 was the finest. Well, it was to that point. But the 2022, which comes from quite a cool vintage, has moved ahead. It doesn’t have the raw power of luxurious opulence of the 2021, but rather delivers with refinement, precision and subtlety in a way I have not seen before with these great wines.
Whether it is a slightly new direction for Henschke or simply a direct product of the vintage remains to be seen.
The 2022 vintage, according to fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke, is one ‘graced by belief’ and celebrates the pioneering vision of fourth-generation winemaker Cyril Henschke.
“It was my father’s belief in the inherent quality of the Eden Valley and its single-vineyard expressions that gave us first Mount Edelstone and, from his heritage, the eloquently named Hill of Grace.
Stephen and his wife Prue, a highly regarded botanist, environmentalist and viticulturist, became the custodians of Cyril’s vineyards and vision, carrying on his legacy with the creation of four new single-vineyard, single-varietal wines: Cyril Henschke, Hill of Roses, The Wheelwright and Hill of Peace.
Over the past four decades, Stephen’s meticulous work in the winery, combined with Prue’s constant drive to improve soil and vine health, canopy management, and fruit quality across their vineyards, through regenerative viticulture and organic and biodynamic principles, has delivered a fresh depth and intensity to the Henschke wines.
Their passion for a more sustainable way of living seeks to restore balance to the natural environment, regenerate vineyard ecosystems, and minimise harmful impacts to the earth.
“Reminiscent of the high-quality vintages of 1991, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2015, the 2022 single-vineyard wines show wonderful ageing potential and will reward long-term cellaring under ideal conditions,” says Prue.
“Our family is honoured to share this collection from a milestone vintage, honouring my father Cyril’s first single-vineyard creation with the 70th anniversary release of Mount Edelstone. These wines speak faithfully of their place, with elegance, distinction and enduring beauty,” adds Stephen.
Here are my notes on these wines:
Henschke Hill of Peace 2022 ($90)
This is the sixth release of this wine. It was first released in 2012 from 13 rows of semillon planted in 1952 in the Hill of Grace vineyard by fourth-generation Louis Henschke and is managed with a combination of organic and biodynamic practices. It’s matured in 100% seasoned 225-litre French oak barriques for 5 months before being bottle-aged before release. Displays beautiful perfumed aromas of subtle florals, light lemon pith, and a slightly baby powder dusting. The palate has a real zing with tremendous power and persistence, albeit delivered on a tight linear line. It’s bright and bursting with energy. Does the old heart good to see semillon shine so brightly.
Score: 95/100 Cellar: 25 years
Henschke Cyril Henschke 2022 ($210)
There is a very strong case that this might be the best Cyril yet released. It was first produced as a single vineyard wine back in 1978 from vines planted in 1969. From the 1990s, it's been coming from Stephen and Prue's vineyard planted in 1988. In many ways, this marks a slightly different direction for the Cyril, although the essential D stylistic varietal expression remains strong. It’s a firm and slightly tighter wine of terrific linear structure with a bright, lively acidity, which in this vintage is particularly evident. The thread of blackcurrant fruit merges with a slightly dried herb and sage-like character. It is probably the most precisely focused of any Cyril to date, leading to its poise and defined, detailed finish. Surprisingly, in some ways, it gets just a 5% smidgeon of new oak with the remainder seasoned. So you are getting a clear window into the vineyard and the vintage influence.
Score: 97/100 Score: 35 years
Henschke The Wheelwright 2022 ($165)
This distinctive wine has been an annual favourite of mine from the time it was first released. The vineyard was planted in the Mount Lofted Ranges by Cyril Henschke in 1968 to mark the 100th anniversary of Henschke. This is such a lovely wine, brimming with bright red fruits supported by a fine, bright and lively acidity, fine chalky tannins and a neatly implemented oak. Has a beautifully seductive mouthfeel with tremendous depth and concentration of shiraz. This is the most southern of the three single vineyards and comes in after Edelstone and Hill of Grace. It’s quite different from those wines. Has beautiful peppery violet fragrances with stacks of red fruit. Matured in 10% new and 90% seasoned French oak hogsheads for 20 months before blending and bottling. The Wheelwright, first released to commemorate 150 years of Henschke family winemaking, pays tribute to founder, winemaker Johann Christian Henschke a skilled stonemason and wheelwright. He was among the first generation of the early German Silesian community and established the family winery in 1868.
Score: 97/100 Cellar: 30 years
Henschke Mount Edelstone 2022 ($300)
An elegant wine of great finesse and poise that captures in an instant the very essence of this great vineyard. The nose shows a more savoury black olive and sage bush character that is lifted with an edgy pepperiness with a hint of bay leaf. It’s bright, lively, with almost boundless energy.. This is the modern Edelstone style in essence, captured magnificently. Has all the character with less opulence and more finesse. Love it. There is great brightness and energy with a luminosity that positively glows on the palate. Has traces of the vineyard dried herb and herbal characters with a sage bush infusion. A highly scented wine that captures the vineyard itself in full flower. The wine is impeccably balanced with the 110- year-old vines delivering fruit of tremendous concentration and intensity harness with a fine acidty and tannin contribution, with a combination of 8% new and 92% season French oak hogsheads holding it for 20 months. The vineyard itself is managed with a combination of organic and biodynamic practices. Score: 98/100 Cellar: 40 years
Henschke Hill of Grace 2022 ($1100)
May well be the prettiest Hill of Grace yet released. May also be the best, and that's saying something. I thought 2021 was the greatest yet, then came 2022. Doesn’t have the raw power and luxurious opulence of the ’21, yet this might be a case of less is more. The depth and intensity of fruit that comes from vines that were planted in the 1860s is undeniable, but it’s all harnessed and focused into an effortless, long, and most graceful structure. There’s a distinct combination of black olive and bay leaf with a lift of sage bush. The palate is immensely powerful and intense with a focused concentration of fruit. As it opens up, other sweet fruit characters emerge. Perfumed and floral with blackberry and blueberry notes. It’s still relatively tight with fine-grained tannins.
Score: 99-plus/100 Cellar: 45 years
