Had a week off work and decided to trade the tropical heat of Hong Kong for the middle of winter in the Barossa Valley. On the overnight flight down, though the flat bed was welcoming, I couldn’t resist a few glasses of Murray Street Vineyard White Label 2008 Shiraz which was a good way to open up the Barossa account in a typical, classical fashion with ripe and round sweet fruits, in multiple shades of dark and red notes giving pleasing complexity. Must be around the $20 mark which is excellent value.
Once in Adelaide, dropped off a bunch of Italian wines for the cellar as they are so scarce or so heavily taxed Down Under, and picked up a dozen wines for our time in the Barossa to share with friends.
Cold views across the Barossa Valley Floor from Mengler’s Hill.
Australian Cellar has gone from 5% Italian wines to 35% in a few years. A Barbaresco shelve in some sort of order.
Kalleske Old Vine Grenache 2004- This is in a sweet spot right now. Liquored red plums and sweet spiced grenache fruit in an attractive, smooth and svelte texture completing with a good persistence - a touch of spirit in the finish which I’d say is typically Barossan and friendly and welcoming in this case.
91pts
The Willows “Bonesetter” Shiraz 2002- Still some good evolution to come…extracted dark fruits which open toward discernible and polished red and black fruits. Still sorting itself out and random nuances of white pepper, eucalypt, tar present over the course of the bottle. Quite muscled on the palate needing some time, the oak is almost there, supporting, with the occasional swirl bringing out caramel as opposed to the less disturbing lead pencil like notes. Still commanding tannins- with raspy, white pepper flavors.
91pts+
Burge Family Olive Hill GSM 2002- I have always felt Rick does good things with the classic blends and he’s worth supporting. The 02 will be great guns in just a few years- or try a decanter as I just poured and drank this one late at night with rowdy company. I recall red fruits, pleasant earthiness and good savory development.
90pts+
Wendouree Shiraz Mataro 1999- Decanted for 24 hours and what I thought was truffles was wet paper in the morning. Yep, happy they are in screw cap now and a big thanks to Wendouree for offering a credit in replacement. I sent my corked bottle back with my 2011 order form.
Turkey Flat Vineyards -
I visited an old friend, Turkey Flat vineyards for a tasting and I highly recommend this winery and their cellar door. If you aren’t familiar with their wonderful shiraz organize a vertical tasting for a small fee. I stumbled through their currently available wines and with their quite small pours, couldn’t tell much but didn’t mind the afternoon drink!
Unbelievable! They have released extremely limited edition Single Vineyard Shiraz wines. I never thought they would do this but anyways I grabbed the 2010 Conqueror, The Twist, & The Great ( 1847 vines ? ). I tried the 2009 Conqueror from a Stonewell vineyard which was superbly textured with a naturally regal tannin structure.
From the tasting, the 2011 shiraz is not bad considering, 2005 shiraz excellent in a more linear-dark licorice fruited expression compared to the more assorted fruit notes found in mid to late 90’s TF shiraz I’ve been drinking of late. Butcher’s Block GSM blend is very smart for the price in 2012 and even on my small pouring I’d go long- if only the $AUD would drop a little further.
1847 Vines Turkey Flat
New Labels for Single Vineyard Wines
Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz 1997- I know this wine, from a modest vintage and I hate that I decanted it. Doesn’t need it and performs in the top echelons of the 97 vintage when poured straight from the bottle. Medium bodied, rhubarb like red fruits, cloves from the clever Henschke oak regime and sage/bracken. Some leathery notes emerged which aren’t seen yet in non-decanted bottles. Still a very good wine but drink up!
92pts
Henschke Mt Edelstone vineyard on Truro Rd in the Eden Vally. A relatively new centurion of old vines.
Henschke Visit-
Booked in for the VIP Tour to treat a friend who had travelled from Melbourne. The tour involves a HofG vineyard stroll and a tasting of the Top Guns.
Dip your boots prior to entering the Hill of Grace vineyard.
Grandfather Block looking toward the ruins of Parrot Hill.
The Lutheran Church of Gnadenburg " Hill of Grace".
Surrounding grazing land in the Eden Valley which doesn’t have the soil for grapes.
Quite rustic and historically rich in parts- Henschke winery.
Private tasting away from Cellar Door.
Henschke Tasting-
Henschke Julius Riesling 2012- I was quite taken by the florals which were offset by concentrated lime juice. Palate has that Eden Valley austerity, but there is a crispness to the mineral infused acidity which offers another dimension of flavor. Great length as expected.
94pts+
Henschke Josehh Hill Gewurtztraminer 2012- Henschke have always done a great gwtz. This is no exception with richness of fruit that’s balanced nicely and avoids the cloyed expressions of experienced from elsewhere in Australia. Lychees, bath salts, sugared Turkish Delight and more delicate spices. Zesty with a dry tang offsetting the fruit sweetness.
91pts+
Henschke Giles Pinot Noir 2012- This seems to have come of age after for a number of years being an expensive red Henschke quaffer. French Oak notes, dark cherries and an emerging, almost heady eruption of strawberry/red cherry flavors. Teasingly smokey; sweet, sappy tannins complete.
91pts+
Henschke Keyneton Euphonium 2010- I loved the Keyneton Estates of the 80’s and 90’s and they are still drinking well now! I’ve found they have become more riper and lost their early 90’s classicalism.
This is a good drop- perfumed and clever. Layered and savory with spiciness throughout.
91pts+
Henschke “Cyril Henschke” 2009- Mint, herbs, mulberries & plums. Beautiful aromatics. Long and elegant; hard to call but it needs to build up within its crafted framework. Could be outstanding and based on Cyril experiences I’d lean that way.
93pts+
Henschke Hill of Roses Shiraz 2007- Hill of Grace cuttings in new vines just behind the Grandfather’s Block. 20 years old? Just starting to show some typical HofG nuances according the the Henschkes.
Delightfully perfumed fruit, bursting in layers of ripe licorice, plum, dark berries, light mint and all in a good pedigree. Superb length and crafted structure; lacks the depth and mystery of young HofG, but thats looking for negatives to differentiate the two. A sort of iodine minerality works nicely with the fruit sweetness on the palate ( balance all round) .
93pts+
Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz 2009- No wine has more convincingly captured and maintained a love of single vineyard wines for me as Mt Ed over the last 20 years of fine wine drinking.
The 2009 is exceptional and I can’t believe I didn’t walk away with a case! It’s $110 now which isn’t unfair as I have used this wine blind to pip the great Hermitages/ Cote Roties and even Hill of Grace in tastings. $110 buys you pretty outstanding wine living in Hong Kong and giving the Australian government $55 in tax is getting harder to do.
Complex smokey notes surround prominent and exotic dark fruits with classical Henschke sage/bracken. A real myriad of fruit shades -black & red perhaps a hint of blue… stunning length and fine but commanding tannins. Time will be good for the wine and leave for 10+. Good to see Stephen Henschke has changed the drinking windows for his wines realizing their superb cellaring potential which exceeds most in the region.
94pts+
Henschke Hill of Grace 2008- $595 and a three bottle limit. :? And a 94 I brought up to drink from a freshly opened case sells for $850 at cellar door- Royally anointed evidently by a recent visit of Queen Elizabeth.
Polished throughout mirroring the special attention HofG gets in both the vineyard and winemaking process. Youthful, dark and brooding, sage and Chinese Five Spice typical discernible notes, though it is very multi-faceted in flavor and aromas- again that alluring mix up of red and dark fruits. The wine has a sense of leanness to it yet it is obvious the fruit will uncoil from its package and flesh appropriately with time.
96pts+
What was a lot of fun was a second generous glass of Hill of Roses against the Hill of Grace. The class and blood-line of the wines is again evident. What was amazing was the playfullness of the young Roses versus Hill of Grace. Quite remarkable to see.
Thanks Emma for hosting an enjoyable visit. I reckon I’ve bought a thousand bottles over the years but not a single bottle this visit. Hopefully the $AUD comes off and I can replenish what I’ve been drinking from my cellar.
Henschke Hill of Grace 1993- I brought up a 93 & 94 to drink with a good mate. We got through the 93 and then the Mongol Hordes stormed from the East…in-laws …so the 94 was tucked away again.
I recall getting my case of 93 all those years ago when there was a 1 bottle limit and 95$ price tag. The dear ladies at cellar door were so Henschke-strict but would turn a blind eye when you returned the next day and they’d give you a big glass of Mt Edelstone knowing there was no need to see the range. Bless them and as I know Sue has since passed…
Haunting in that Henschke sense with the rich fruits integrated with the beautifully seasoned oak. This is an atypical Hill of grace plagued at vintage with devastating frosts. The red fruits are lighter and more developed in a rhubarb like manner; more sweet and evolved dark fruits though no hints of any tertiary evolution. Sage, bracken, vegetal complexity. Still powerful in its palate presence with an inkiness though lacking the regular flesh perhaps. Good acid spine; delicate and fine tannins now with mint, menthol and smokey black fruits persisting.
93pts and Holding.
Peter Lehmann visit-
Seemed appropriate to visit cellar door and have a few bottles of red and a “Weigh Bridge Platter” to honor the passing of Peter Lehmann. It’s a great cellar door where the kids can run about as the adults dine on a platter of local produce and drink good, honest Barossan wine.
We went through 3 bottles of Mentor. The cabernet dominant blend beefed up with some shiraz and malbec. The 2008 is drinking well now, though needs some time to fill out to dispense a palate illusion of shortness.
My wife’s brother in law still recalls dropping off grapes to Peter Lehmann and him greeting every grower with wine and german sausage.
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We dined with children being the limitation- so it was pubs, clubs and 1918. Everywhere BYO’s but I was very disappointed with the glassware which destroyed two bottles of Mt Edelstone. Open your own bottles too.
Australians must be very hungry. There’s enough meat there to feed a family for a week in Asia. This is the Tanunda Club I think. Raved about by locals…
The 94 Mt Ed was ruined by soapy glassware or decanter and the 96 Keyneton is a testament to the quality of the blend from the 80’s and 90’s…still going strong.
Ruggabellus-
There’s been some good chatter about these wines so I called Abel Gibson and arranged a tasting at his place in Stonewell. Lovely bloke with a lot of good information. His wines stylistically refreshing, pinot like in their expression and if you are an Old World drinker, a great way to look at the Barossa in a different light. The wines are balanced and give a distinct impression of their dominant varietals.
The 2012 release is well worth seeking out. I found them quite a joy. A quaffing label at $25 and three more serious Crus at $40 each- blends but each different label being dominant in either Archaeus ( shiraz ), Efferus ( mataro ) or Timaeus( grenache ). I bought a mixed six pack to put away for five years or so.
Dinner at 1918 which has been consistent for me over the last few years. This time we were all very happy with the food but afterwards I was disgusted with the glassware. I’ve dined there before and had great stems. I figure as we had a bunch of kids and a private room they provided their most modest of glasses despite us arriving with a 20 year old Mt Edelstone. The Mt Ed showed poorly as a consequence, however, a more youthful Heritage Wines Barossa Shiraz 2008 did well with a generous ( but not overblown ) expression of Barossa shiraz. I have a few of their Roscoe’s in the cellar and I wouldn’t mind drinking a little more of their wines.
Rockford Visit- Not much on show but it is always great to visit; the cosy fireplace with a nice glass of the 2010 cabernet. I’ve always been averse to Barossa cabernet, all too often it’s too shiraz like- this was dusty and varietal, needing some time, and always promising to be a great drink.
The SVS Flaxmann was a disappointing surprise. 15.5% and with nothing I could determine to show it was from the Eden Valley which was a stark contrast to the masterful wines of Henschke. These wines have been superb in the past but if they are going to push 15.5% with a double dose of oak they are missing their mark now- there is no story of Basket Press in this wine!
Stonewallers Room.
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 1996- A superb expression of Barossa shiraz- it was decanted and gone in 5 minutes with the crowd so didn’t open up much. Being very familiar with the wine it was a consistent bottle and it was fantastic to show a few friends a mature Barossa shiraz, showing complexity and refinement and with a striking balance.