Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz 2017

Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz 2017Henschke is one of Australias oldest family owned wineries, has been crafting wine for over 150 years in the Eden Valley region of the Barossa. Founded in 1868, the winery is deeply committed to a fully integrated approach between vineyard and winery, reflecting six generations of family tradition in grapegrowing and winemaking across the Eden Valley, Barossa Valley, and Adelaide Hills. Over 180 years ago, Johann Christian Henschke came from Silesia

Henschke is one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wineries, has been crafting wine for over 150 years in the Eden Valley region of the Barossa. Founded in 1868, the winery is deeply committed to a fully integrated approach between vineyard and winery, reflecting six generations of family tradition in grapegrowing and winemaking across the Eden Valley, Barossa Valley, and Adelaide Hills.

Over 180 years ago, Johann Christian Henschke came from Silesia to settle and build his farm in the Eden Valley region. By the time third-generation Paul Alfred Henschke took over the reins in 1914, the now famed Hill of Grace vines were more than 50 years old. The original vines, known as the ‘Grandfathers’, were planted around 1860 by an ancestor, Nicolaus Stanitzki, in rich alluvial soil in a shallow fertile valley just north-west of the Henschke family winery. The red-brown earth grading to deep silty loam has excellent moisture-holding capacity for these dry-grown vines, that sit at an altitude of 400m, with an average rainfall of 520mm.

Hill of Grace is a unique, delineated, historic single vineyard that lies opposite a beautiful old Lutheran church, which is named after a region in Silesia known as Gnadenberg, translating to ‘Hill of Grace’. Cyril Henschke made the first single-vineyard shiraz wine from this vineyard in 1958 from handpicked grapes vinified in traditional open-top fermenters. The original Ancestors (vines over 125 years) are now approximately 160 years old and remain the heart of the Hill of Grace wine, along with a small selection of Centenarians (vines over 100 years), Survivors (vines over 70 years), and Old Vines (vines over 35 years), all planted on their own roots.

Matured in 29% new and 71% seasoned (83% french, 17% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.

Tasting Notes

"Australia's finest single-vineyard site? I think so. With its core of gnarled shiraz vines planted circa 1860 and its picture-perfect location alongside the Gnadenberg church, it is a much adored and discussed vineyard which has been producing stellar wines since the first single-vineyard Hill of Grace was released in 1958. Today, those original vines are bolstered with its 'young' 100+ and 35+yo kinfolk and aged in 83/17% French/American oak hogsheads (29% new) for 18 months. Grace by name, grace by nature; it's a perfectly framed, elegant snapshot of pristine fruit, site and season. Precisely ripened berry fruits are underscored with notes of Asian five-spice, sage, jasmine, licorice, mocha, blackberry pastille, charcuterie, wild flowers and cherry clafoutis. Pitch-perfect and elegant on the palate, the tannin-acid architecture tuned and sympatico with the pristine ancestor-vine fruit and a very long, silken finish that resonates with style and place. My goodness it's lovely." 99 Points - Halliday Wine Companion, Dave Brookes (2022).