Because the 2019 vintage was so small, Henschke has offered up a few museum releases of vintages that were similar climactically to ‘19. This is a rare opportunity to taste the evolution of Australia’s most famous single-vineyard wine— and what a sexy one it is. With shades of brick starting at its edges, the heady aromatics of a wine in its second decade of transformation are immediately apparent: spiced macerated cherries and blackberries, mocha, the cracked spines of old books, raw beef and hoisin-glazed mushrooms. It’s silky in the mouth, the tannins still firm and powdery, but softening, curving into the folds of the wine, a spiced meat nuance lingering on the long finish.
We are indeed lucky to get a 2008 Hill of Grace from the Museum & Rage program this year, which is largely due to the paltry volumes of the current 2019 wine (due to low yields). It was a stinking hot vintage in the Barossa. Prue Henschke had been farming the site biodynamically for a few years by that stage, employing composts and mulching practices that had a positive impact in a stressful, hot year. That and she got the grapes off Hill of Grace before the major heat event. It is in a terrific place with gentle red fruits and layers of complex fine spice, sage, leather, tobacco and intriguing tertiary characters coming into play along with gentle oak spice and a dab of milk chocolate. Comforting, graceful and long of finish. The interplay of characters is constantly evolving in the glass and it is in great form at this stage of its evolution.
The 2008 Hill of Grace Shiraz is just looking so svelte and fine. The wine is elegant and spicy and super fine, and it leads with fresh leather and star anise, bay leaf, tobacco, curry leaf, cocoa and peppercorns that all twist and swirl through the bouquet. In the mouth, the tannins have evolved to a state of pure repose—seamless and fine, they flow and carry the Satsuma plum fruit along with it. This 2008 makes a very strong case for cellaring your wine for some time prior to drinking it. If you have the means, I would recommend buying some of this vintage (maybe solo, maybe with friends) and drinking a bottle. Experience the evolution of tannin and fruit. It's a wonder. It's a lovely wine, re-released into the wild. Lucky us. This has decades to go. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under Vinolok. 2008 experienced a heat wave in the fall (March 3-15), but thankfully most of the fruit for this wine was off by the time the heat became a problem.
A museum release from a bipolar vintage, defined by a mild and dry summer that shifted suddenly to a heat wave, striking mid-March. While there is ample power and a chord of heat, this full-bodied wine delivers a coating of detailed grape tannins melded to oak notes. Sweet fruit demands cellar temperature to facilitate a sense of freshness. Blueberries, dried sage, black olives and violets. with hints of licorice across the relentless finish.
Well-upholstered, with plush baked plum, fruit ‘leather', black olive and tapenade, plus praline and chocolate oak (100% new). Long leash tannins let the fruit spool out, revealing notes of black tea, iodine, baking spices, cardamom and tamarind paste. Then the finish reels in, with crushed stone-like dry extract. Satisfyingly expansive, yet powerful and controlled, it reflects a year in which grapes were harvested during a record heatwave, with 15 consecutive days over 35°C.
From a heatwave vintage comes this decadent but shapely 2008 Shiraz Hill of Grace. It immediately delivers blackberry, chocolate and new leather notes with tar and cassis touches. The palate follows suit, bold and dry, with flavors of licorice, dried spices and roasted meats before a long and muscular finish. The 2008 is an outlier, but the quality is undeniable.
Winery Notes
Dark crimson in color, with deep garnet hues. A concentrated array of aromas of mulberry, blackberry and dark plum indicate the richness to come, while savory and complex notes of charcuterie, cedar, sage and five spice tease the senses. Plush and velvety on the palate, the wine has intense fruit concentration with plum, red currant, blackberry and anise flavors, yet an enchantingly elegant and refined structure. Layers of silky tannins reveal the impressive depth of the wine before giving way to an incredibly long finish.
Pre-arrival
Case Only
