Henschke Hill of Roses Shiraz 2016

Once it seemed to me that this was very much a unicorn wine. One heard of it but almost never saw it. Stephen sees it as something to reward loyal cellar door customers and a few on-premise sites. It is basically Hill of Grace in waiting. This comes from the vines in the Hill of Grace vineyard which have not yet attained that status, largely because of age – these vines are around three decades old, still considered too young, though it can’t be long before they ascend. As Stephen says, the tasting bench will tell the tale. The day they look at a sample, have no doubt that it belongs in Hill of Grace and discover it to be from the ‘Roses’ section, is the day that they will know that these vines can contribute to Hill of Grace. 

This vintage has some serious concentration. Even a touch burly. Ripe and plush – it does seem that Stephen’s thoughts on the 2016 vintage being a little more plush than some are spot on. 

Flavours of chocolate, florals, black fruits, coffee beans, possibly a touch of five-spice? This has very fine tannins. Length which maintains its intensity. This wine surely has a good fifteen to twenty years ahead of it and is a really fine Hill of Roses. For me, 96 and that will surely rise over time. 

Worth noting that there would be very few wineries in Australia, indeed anywhere in the world, who would not be proud to present a wine like this, or Mt Edelstone, as their flagship. And yet here, they all fall in the immense shadow of Hill of Grace.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

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.

Wine writer and critic