Henschke Keyneton Euphonium 2023

As well as their amazing skills in both vineyard and winery, the Henschke family are also what we might term, extremely musical, although I doubt you’re likely to hear the latest Springsteen blasting out from the winery anytime soon. There was even a Henschke Family Brass Band, founded back in 1888. One of the instruments used in the band was a B flat euphonium (don’t ask me, that is what Google is for). Hence, the name of this wine. A blend of 65% Shiraz, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, which is split between the Eden Valley, 69%, and the Barossa Valley, 31%, maturation was in French oak hogsheads for seventeen months, 10% of which were new. Deep maroon with a shimmering magenta rim, this offers an exquisite nose, already exhibiting the complexity to come. Alluring and approachable, we have notes of chocolate, plums, vanilla, blueberries, blackberries, dried herbs, coffee beans and black cherries. Seamless and balanced throughout, this is fresh, full of energy, clean and finishes with fine grained tannins. A wine of serious length which is destined to improve over the next ten to fifteen years.

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