Henschke Marble Angel 2022

The name comes, as the Henschke wines so often do, from family achievements, members and connections. In this case, great-uncle Julius was a renowned sculptor and created some of the famous headstones and angels in the Gnadenberg Cemetery (which sits next to an even more famous vineyard – Hill of Grace). Personally, I like to think that someone was also a fan of those angels from Dr Who, but I suspect that might be stretching things. The wine is a single vineyard 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines planted in the late 1970s at Light Pass in the Barossa Valley. It spent twenty months maturing in French oak hogsheads, 10% of which were new. Deep magenta in colour, there are ruby rims. The nose reveals notes of cigar boxes, spices, milk chocolate, raspberries, red cherries, dried herbs and tobacco leaves. While this is possibly a little more red fruited than one might expect from a Barossa Cabernet – but none the worse for that – it is exquisitely done. Seamless and balanced, bright acidity, a finely crafted texture, excellent length with focus and direction. Leave it for a couple of years and then enjoy it for the following decade.