Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 2018

I lived on the property that lies between the Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards for eight years. My god it's a beautiful part of the world. Planted in 1912 by George Fife Angus and purchased by Cyril Henschke in 1974, though it had been bottled as a single-vineyard wine since 1952. Picture perfect blackberry and blackcurrant fruits, shades of mixed spice, purple floral tones, earth, licorice, rosehip and crushed quartz. A gorgeous expression of site, pure with long, ripe tannins, lacy mineral-laden acidity providing clarity and drive and a finish that sails on for some time before finishing chalky and sustained.

First bottled in 1952 by Stephen Henschke's father Cyril, this reknowned cuvée is likely Australia's longest consecutively produced single-site wine, from a vineyard planted in 1912. A gem of a old-vine wine in every sense (it is named for the yellow opals once found in the area), it is spectacular in this vintage. The mouthfeel is seductive and supple, carrying trademark savoury bay leaf, sage and peppercorn notes that integrate beautifully into ripe, black bramble and blood plum flavours. Structure for long ageing is assured by firm yet velvety tannins and fresh acidity. A gorgeous, opulent, complex wine that, on several tastings over three days, I preferred to Hill of Grace.

Serious, fulfilling nose but super elegant, with subtle spices, sage, spearmint, heather, ink, dark chocolate, red-berry fruit and blueberries. A refreshing citrus note, reminiscent of bergamot. Almost plush but nothing heavy here, instead, this is quite ethereal with agility on the palate with even, ultra-fine tannins that are beguilingly sweet.

The Mount Edelstone vineyard is in Eden Valley and is 16 hectares. It was planted in 1912 by Ronald Angas, classifying the ungrafted, dry-grown vines here as centenarian vines (according to the Barossa Old Vine Charter) at 106 years old. The soils consist of red-brown clay-loam. The 2018 Mount Edelstone Vineyard Shiraz is 100% Shiraz, matured in a combination of 27% new and 73% seasoned oak hogsheads (77% French, 23% American) for 20 months prior to blending and bottling. This is forever one of my favorite wines at Henschke—it speaks so clearly of my perception of Eden Valley. It is equally rocky/mineral/of the earth, as it is saturated in black and red fruits. The tannins are svelte and seamless. The gentle impact of the American oak is evident in the sweet bed of plump tannin and the slight gloss to the fruit. There is a grace and beauty to the palate, as usual. While Henschke rates this great 2018 vintage as being on par with the 2015 and 2016, they put it slightly behind 2012. You make up your own mind, however I am enamored by the wines I have tasted from 2018. Super wine.

Mount Edelstone may not garner as much fame as this historic Hill of Grace vineyard, but with ungifted vines well over 100 years old, this is a treasure in itself. 2018 was a warm, plush vintage. It’s demonstrated here via rich, layered aromas of plum cake and cherry cordial atop earthier, smokier notes like grilled beets, bay leaf and mocha. The palate is equally hearty but with balance and restraint. There’s a lovely line of acidity and a fine frame of earthy tannins.

Impressive for its complexity and seamless, plush tannins, with rich baked, spiced plum, salted caramel, star anise, dark chocolate and fresh details of rosemary and sage. Reveals a black pepper accent that lingers on the provocative finish, where the flavors keep coming.

Excellent colour, deep and youthful with strong purple tints. The bouquet is robust and concentrated, mixed spices, led by pepper and earthy notes, a trace of eucalyptus-mint, rich and dense as it is also in the mouth. A collossus of a wine. There's a lot of charry oak input and this tinges the aftertaste with a little bitterness. A powerhouse of a shiraz, and quite heavily extracted, but also superb. Long-term. (HH) (3/2021)

The Mount Edelstone vineyard was planted in 1912 by Ronald Fife, a descendant of George Angus Fife, a founder of South Australia. Cyril Henschke made the family’s first wine from the property as a single-vineyard shiraz in 1952. The vines, now tended by Stephen and Prue Henschke, are dry farmed on their own roots in deep red-brown clay-loam and clay. Those shiraz vines, now more than 100 years old, provided an earthy 2015 with a balsamic note to its ripe perfume of raspberries and cherries, lasting on bittersweet cherry-pit tannins. The fruit is youthfully pungent, with the kind of purity – or lack of excess – that bodes well for a long arc of development in the cellar.