Given that the 2002 Hill of Grace is still under wraps, this vintage looks set to restore Henschke’s position amongst Australia’s finest makers of red wine. As a group – and given that I have yet to taste the Hill of Grace – they are superbly structured, spotlessly clean and marry sumptuous flavours of pristine fruit with very fine-grained tannins and well-integrated oak. The Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the finest wines yet released under this label. 2002 was a classic season for Barossa cabernet (witness the Mamre Brook, the Penfolds 707 and the inexpensive Peter Lehmann wine), and this Eden Valley wine delivers great intensity of pure cabernet flavour supported by an excellent and fine-grained structure. There’s a touch of dusty leafiness, but that will develop into pleasing cigarboxy complexity over time. I’ve already written about the 2002 Mount Edelstone elsewhere. Stephen Henschke agrees with me that it’s the best wine under this label that he has made, and I think it’s the smartest Mount Ed ever. Not unnaturally, he just wishes he had more of it. The Keyneton Estate blend (now called Euphonium) is finely structured, savoury and balanced, brightly lit with pristine and briary flavours of dark berries, plums and cherries. It’s the best wine under this label for some time. One would expect the Hill of Grace to be something really special. The new release, however, is from the 2001 vintage. It’s a wine that like most from this unbelievably difficult season, tries hard but ultimately in vain to look something really special. It’s artfully made, with some fine, smooth tannins and plenty of flavour and perfume. However, there’s no hiding some slightly jammy and confectionary aspects, as well as some underlying herbal influences, if you’re prepared to look deeper. These are simply the product of the uneven ripening brought on by the extreme heat of the vintage. The newly-released whites include and perfumed and powdery Julius Riesling 2005, a delightful Innes Pinot Gris 2005 that is slightly sweet but nonetheless true to type, a handsomely crafted Croft Chardonnay 2004 and a surprisingly intense and racy Coralinga Sauvignon Blanc 2005 from an Adelaide Hills vineyard. Over the years I have received a great deal of comment, most of it very negative, about my views and ratings for recent Henschke releases. Some time ago I wrote that as soon as this highly respected small maker began releasing top wines again, I’d be the first to let people know. That time has now come, and I’m delighted with Henschke’s return to form. The company has clearly worked very hard to overcome the issues that in some cases had a profoundly negative effect on its wine quality, and for this they have nothing less than my complete admiration and respect.
