Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz 2018

Always a favourite and from such an exciting vintage, much is expected. For me, a very fine Tappa Pass, perhaps not their very best, but certainly up there and more than worth inclusion in any serious cellar. 

From a pair of vineyards, including “Uncle Jack’s” shiraz vineyard, which was planted in the fifties, the Henschkes usually find it offers blueberries and plums. For Stephen, although they are very much focused on what single vineyards have to offer, as soon as he saw these wines on the tasting bench, made from two vineyards close to one another, he knew that they belonged together. No doubt, he has been correct in that. 

The colour of ripe cherries. Slightly more restrained than expected and, for me, a little more rustic. Warm earth, spices, chocolate, black fruits, leather. Dense with a hint of animal skins and some good complexity here. I asked Stephen about these characters but it was not something he had encountered in his tastings. Subsequently, I went back to my bottle. For me, these characters were still present (is it possible that my bottle was slightly different? Always possible – less so with the move to screwcaps, of course). But one can only report on what one sees and I should say that I found it a seriously impressive wine. Good balance, 8 to 10 years of improvement ahead of it. Excellent length and worth noting that it impressed even more after 24 hours open. 

For me, this is an excellent TP.

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