Henschke Eden Valley Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
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Robert
Parker -
Wine &
Spirits -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep crimson in color. Lifted and perfumed with violets, cassis, blueberries, plums, blackberries and spice with hints of vanilla and cedar. The palate is supple and shows soft, fleshy, nicely textured fruit with mossy notes and a long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2004 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon (which contains 10% Merlot) is sourced from a single Eden Valley vineyard and aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak. Purple-colored, it gives off classic Bordeaux aromas of toasty oak, vanilla, mineral, black currant, and blackberry. Elegant on the palate, it conceals enough silky tannin to evolve for 8-10 years. Nicely integrated and harmonious, this stylish wine should perform optimally from 2015 to 2034.
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Wine & Spirits
A gentle rain of cherries and currants, this young cabernet grows on mature vines at Henschke's Eden Valley estate. This vintage is a beauty, with electric acidity buzzing through all the richness of fruit, highlighting the fine texture, extending the black earthiness of the tannin. This will reward eight to ten years of cellaring.
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Wine Enthusiast
I suspect the Cyril Henschke Cabernets show better after additional bottle age, but on release they are invariably difficult to read. There is no denying the attractive scents of mint, smoke and cassis in the 2004, nor the ripe plum and cassis-driven flavors, but the wine seems tight and reined in on the palate. Try after 2012.
Other Vintages
2005-
Robert
Parker -
Wine &
Spirits
Henschke is one of Australia’s leading winemakers and grapegrowers. Henschke is recognised for its rich heritage, innovative spirit and commitment to handcrafting exceptional wines for 150 years. The Henschke family’s grapegrowing and winemaking tradition spans six generations, from outstanding sustainable vineyards in Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills. The small-medium wine business has an annual crush of 700 tonne and employs around 50 staff. Prue Henschke manages the 105 hectares of vineyard, spanning from Eden Valley to Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills wine region. Henschke is one of Australia’s leading winemakers and grapegrowers. Henschke is recognised for its rich heritage, innovative spirit and commitment to handcrafting exceptional wines for 150 years. The Henschke family’s grapegrowing and winemaking tradition spans six generations, from outstanding sustainable vineyards in Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills. The small-medium wine business has an annual crush of 700 tonne and employs around 50 staff. Prue Henschke manages the 105 hectares of vineyard, spanning from Eden Valley to Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills wine region. 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.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Higher in elevation and topographically more dramatic than the Barossa Valley floor, Eden Valley abuts it to its south and east. While it is a bit of an extension of Barossa, Eden Valley is topographically different than the pastoral Barossa Valley, and is composed of rocky hills and eucalyptus groves.
Recognizing Eden Valley’s potential with Riesling in the 1960s and 70s, producers started to move their Riesling production from Barossa to these better sites where schist soils on hilltops would produce more steely, tart and age-worthy examples. A most famous site, planted by Colin Gramp, called Steingarten, today produces one of the most outstanding Australian Rieslings. Youthful Eden Valley Rieslings express floral, grapefruit and mineral, while with time in the bottle, they become increasingly toasty and complex.
Riesling isn’t the only grape the region can grow; undeniably at lower altitudes Shiraz does very well. Mount Edelstone is a notable vineyard as well as the Hill of Grace, which boasts healthy Shiraz vines well over 100 years old. This is the only Australian region where Merlot has a made a name for itself and Chardonnay can be spectacular, particularly from the High Eden subregion in the southern valley.