Henschke Hill of Grace 2018
- 100
- $950
- Drink by: 2023-2073
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2018 has already established itself as one of the truly great years (Stephen Henschke has dubbed 2018 as the vintage of wonder). Not surprisingly, this is a stunning wine, extremely approachable already. An inky purple hue, this is still quite tight but the notes of plums, cassis, bergamot, blueberries and aniseed come forth riding a wave of flavour. There is immaculately integrated oak and the complexity in the wine is already evident with five-spice and chocolate emerging on the palate. The finish is of a length more often associated with great old fortifieds. The tannins are abundant but soft, cashmere-like and ever-so-fine. The focus and structure will see the wine sail into the future. A profound wine of finesse and ethereal class. Well cellared bottles will easily see out forty or fifty years. And blossom over that time.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
