Henschke is a fifth-generation family winery based in South Australia's Eden Valley, established in 1868. Hill of Grace is the estate's most celebrated wine and one of Australia's most iconic bottlings — a single-vineyard Shiraz sourced from ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines first planted around 1860.
The 2018 vintage is 100% Shiraz, hand-harvested and fermented in traditional open-top fermenters before ageing for 18 months in French (83%) and American (17%) oak hogsheads, around 20% new. It was released to mark 60 years since the first Hill of Grace vintage in 1958.
Deep crimson-ruby with garnet reflections, the nose opens with dark plum, wild blackberry, sage and sweet mint, layered with five-spice and black pepper. The palate shows depth without weight — silky, fine-grained tannins frame vibrant dark berries and stone fruit through to an exceptionally long, spice-accented finish with graphite and crushed herbs.
The 2018 Hill of Grace was rated 99 points by James Halliday and 98 points by Erin Larkin for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
Region: Eden Valley, South Australia | Grape: Shiraz | Vintage: 2018 | ABV: 14.5% | Size: 750ml