Henschke Hill of Roses 2016

Younger vines on the Hill of Grace vineyard, around 30 years old or so though. Planted in 1989, the first wine made from this site came from 2001. “The 2001 felt pretty simplistic, but lovely young shiraz character”, says vigneron Stephen Henschke, “over the years, the twenty odd years, it’s grown into a more structural, textural, better balanced wine, and the maturity figures in the vine have worked better too, better numbers, but the important thing is texture, it’s getting harder and harder to say ‘this shouldn’t go into Hill Of Grace'”. That won’t happen, the Old Vine Charter is being followed, “you see what you think tasting the two wines together; you can see the wines building and coming closer in that texture”. Ok, best I do. Thank you, Henschke family.

Incredibly aromatic, so much exotic spice (so evocative of that vineyard, Hill of Grace), lift of alpine herb, fennel, ripe plum, choc-cherry, kirsch, and, amongst it all, faint sandalwood and nougat notes. Beautiful perfume, that spice such a feature and so compelling, so distinct and original. Supple in the palate, elegant is a good word, lush in a way too. Sweet hearted, pretty, red berry and blue berry fruitiness, rose water, cinnamon spice, soft tannins that ripple seamlessly through the wine and it all draws long, long, long and then gently tugs at the palate with gummy pucker. Drink 2021-2040+ 95 points - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front