Henschke Henry’s Seven Barossa 2023

This is one heady mix of four Barossan grape varieties and two regions all rolled into one glorious, easy going, lightly savoury wine. Has Barossan friendliness written all over it. How about those gorgeous iridescent purple hues! I suspect the role of 2% Viognier co-fermented with 81 % Shiraz comes into play there. Their blending buddies are Grenache (11%) and Mataro (6%) with all grapes sourced from either the Barossa Valley or Eden Valley. The scent is similarly memorable, exhibiting an aromatic mix half way between English garden and Aussie bush with bramble, red and black cherry, grilled plum and spices aplenty. Oak is discreet. This is all about the fruit, layers of it, supported ably by lively spice, florals and a gentle savouriness.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic