Henschke Hill of Roses Shiraz 2022

For many, this is seen as a baby Hill of Grace, as it comes from the young vines in that vineyard. Well, when we say young, 33 years young at the moment, which would be considered old by many wineries. The wine spends twenty months maturing in older French oak hogsheads. The team at Henschke won’t consider incorporating fruit from these vines in its famous older sibling until they are at least 35 years of age, but even that milestone will be no guarantee. The fruit will need to be of sufficient quality and to fit the style required. In the meantime, we have this wonderful Shiraz from the Eden Valley. A gleaming purple/magenta, it is immediately obvious that this wine is still very much its youthful phase. There is good integration throughout, and the nose does give notes of chocolate, mocha, coffee beans, blackberries and blueberries, aniseed, cloves, cassis and cocoa powder. This is a stunning Hill of Roses, with complexity already evident, great length and perfect balance through to silky, cashmere-like tannins. A seductive and alluring texture completes the picture. Pristine and taut, this will be a star over the next thirty years. Love it, and I expect the score to nudge up a touch further.