Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Planted in 1860, these remarkable 150-year old Shiraz vines unquestionably produce one of the greatest wines of Australia. Its spice, tar and tabasco fragrance is intense and complex, repeated in a super-intense, opulent (but not sweet) palate. Pure black fruit flavours laced with spice are underpinned by an elegant balance of succulence and finesse of texture. Behind it there is a firm, muscular structure tapering to a long and satisfying finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This embryonic 2010 Shiraz Hill of Grace is classically proportioned and built for the long haul. It shows wonderful intensity, precision and fruit focus as blackberry, graphite, black olive and coal fire aromas slowly emerge in the glass - each perfectly proportioned. It’s then firm and compact, still tightly wound with a deep reserve of muscular tannins that drive an exceptionally long, drying and sustained finish. This is a benchmark vintage.
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Vinous
This embryonic 2010 Shiraz Hill of Grace is classically proportioned and built for the long haul. It shows wonderful intensity, precision and fruit focus as blackberry, graphite, black olive and coal fire aromas slowly emerge in the glass - each perfectly proportioned. It’s then firm and compact, still tightly wound with a deep reserve of muscular tannins that drive an exceptionally long, drying and sustained finish. This is a benchmark vintage.
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Wine Enthusiast
Is this the Yin to Grange's Yang? The wines are completely different, yet almost always destined to be discussed together. The 2010 HoG is aromatic and bright, with raspberry and cranberry fruit notes, hints of mint and a pinch of peppery spice. It's full-bodied, but with elegant, supple tannins that ease gently into a long, crisp finish. Drink now–2030.
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Wine Spectator
Elegant, expressive and wonderfully complex. Bergamot, sandalwood and black walnut liqueur notes add an aromatic complexity to the sleek, polished blackberry flavors. Shows a mix of power and finesse, with an epic finish. Drink now through 2032.
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Wine & Spirits
An elegant vintage from the Henschke family's historic vineyard, this shiraz blends fruits from generations of vines. The oldest date to the 1860s, with subsequent plantings propagated from those original vines. This 2010 has the depth of flavor and layered complexity that great old-vine fruit can give. One taster compared it to the long, slow concentration of flavor in a braise. The fruit flavors that rise out of those umami depths add tension and vibrancy to the wine, a sour cherry note of restraint to match the tannic refinement. The long, juicy fruit flavors have power without any excess weight. Built to evolve for decades.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
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.