Henschke - Shiraz Hill Of Grace Eden Valley 2017 (750ml)
Price: $815.00
#100 James Suckling Top 100 of 2022
| Producer | Henschke |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Eden Valley |
| Varietal | Syrah |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Sku | 5094 |
| Size | 750ml |
Halliday Wine Companion: 99 Points
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. Dave Brookes
Decanter: 99 Points
Muscular with great vitality and sensuality Hill of Grace 2017 combines gravitas with grace. Supple swathes of fruit – blackberry with blueberry and red cherry – come scented with china ink tinder bush black pepper star anise wattleseed tea leaf and baking spices. Tobacco pouch mulch and subtle game undertones strike a savoury note. Rafts of seamless spicy tannins build and buoy layers of flavour. Terrific authority strength complexity and length.
James Suckling: 98 Points
Strikes its own level of fragrant complexity and fruit vitality that places it a cut above the other 2017 Henschke Eden Valley shiraz wines with aromas of boysenberries red plums blackberries and mulberries swathed in baking spices sage brown pepper
Wine Spectator: 97 Points
While complex and intricate this also has immediate charm and drinkability with a supple frame that firms up softly on the finish. Boasts basil kirsch marzipan Kalamata olive white truffle and notes of framboise that mingle together effortlessly but it's the finish where the wine really gains momentum with wave after wave of details including bittersweet chocolate cumin dried ginger and chocolate covered maraschino cherry. Shiraz. Drink now. ?M.W.
Wine Enthusiast: 97 Points
Australia's most famous single-vineyard wine delivers once again a unique expression of place and people. The deep well of aromas includes tomato stem blackberry and blueberry compote a sprinkling of cumin sage and a sumac tang all framed in mocha oak that is gently supportive. The palate shows plushness and power but also restraint and poise. Tannins are ultra fine and uniquely textured. They're savory and earthy beautifully juxtaposing the tangy acidity and never squashing the plump silken fruit. This could be drunk now with a decanter and plate of protein at hand but it's structured for the long haul and could age another 15?20 years easily. CHRISTINA PICKARD
Wine Advocate: 96 Points
The 2017 Hill of Grace Shiraz offers notes of blueberry skin crushed granite essene of cassis blackcurrant pastille black tea hung deli meat white truffle and mushroom. It is inky intense black and dark with seemingly endless length. The palate is initially sweet with a real "bottom of the pot" jasmine tea bitterness to the tannins however this remains ajunct to the nose which is decidedly savory. What is clear is that the old vines shine through the conditions of the vintage; they shine through the hand of Stephen and they show a density and solidity of texture that young vines achieve through so few hands. This wine was perhaps a touch meatier (not chunky literally referring to meat/pastrami/deli meats) and more savory than expected. However it remains a thundering display of line length and complexity. The Henschkes are a sixth-generation family in the Eden Valley Barossa. Husband and wife Stephen and Prue Henschke are the winemaker and viticulturist respectively and it is clear to see that a close life union plays out so eloquently in the wines. Each vintage the wines take on characters distinct to the vintage yet the vineyards manage to speak through both the maker and the seasons. A triumph of high quality expressive precise Australian winemaking. 2017 was a cool and reticent vintage falling in line with other late-ripening vintages such as 2012 2006 and 1992. In terms of fruit expression I found these to be a true reflection of the reticent nature of the year in which they were grown. They were quiet and shy upon opening and took a day of air to reveal the nature that they possess. The Hill of Grace and the Mount Edelstone this year were lighter and littered with umami/savory deli meat/truffle/mushroom characters more so than I can recall in previous vintages. The density of tannin that comes with the old-vine fruit ensures that the wine particularly the Hill of Grace retains its character and presence in challenging vintages. If ever there was any doubt about the power and resilience of old vines one only must look to the Hill of Roses (Shiraz vines yet to come of age within the Hill of Grace vineyard) to witness the inherently lighter frame and decidedly redder fruit profile. It's a masterful cut that Pru Henschke has made a clear line in the sand for now.
