The Mount Edelstone vineyard is in Eden Valley and is 16 hectares. It was planted in 1912 by Ronald Angas, classifying the ungrafted, dry-grown vines here as centenarian vines (according to the Barossa Old Vine Charter) at 106 years old. The soils consist of red-brown clay-loam. The 2018 Mount Edelstone Vineyard Shiraz is 100% Shiraz, matured in a combination of 27% new and 73% seasoned oak hogsheads (77% French, 23% American) for 20 months prior to blending and bottling. This is forever one of my favorite wines at Henschke—it speaks so clearly of my perception of Eden Valley. It is equally rocky/mineral/of the earth, as it is saturated in black and red fruits. The tannins are svelte and seamless. The gentle impact of the American oak is evident in the sweet bed of plump tannin and the slight gloss to the fruit. There is a grace and beauty to the palate, as usual. While Henschke rates this great 2018 vintage as being on par with the 2015 and 2016, they put it slightly behind 2012. You make up your own mind, however I am enamored by the wines I have tasted from 2018. Super wine. (14.5% alcohol, pH 3.4, total acidity of 6.47 grams per liter).

This is a genuinely outstanding Mount Edelstone, with glorious fruit and multi-layered complexity. The nose sings of the Eden Valley with a sage and black fruit cocktail of flavours, and the texture is pure velvet. This is a cracker of a wine and a classic Mount Edelstone to boot, and it is already bafflingly precocious. But don’t worry because behind the exultant volleys of pristine fruit lurks muscle and crunchy tannin that will propel this wine forward for two decades and more. As time ticks on I become more and more enamoured by Mount Edelstone and this is another release that will handsomely reward those who manage to track down stock.

Mount Edelstone is farmed organically and biodynamically at 400 m. Shiraz vines are 106 years old. The ancient 500-million-year-old soils are deep red-brown clay-loam to clay, resulting in low yields from the dry-farmed, ungrafted vines. Hand-harvested in the early morning. Individual blocks were picked and vinified separately. Destemmed and lightly crushed into small, concrete, open-top fermenters, with submerged cap. Pumpovers twice daily. After 7–10 days and just prior to reaching dryness, the fermentations were gently pressed to barrel with the primary fermentation finishing in 77% French and 23% American oak (27% new and 73% seasoned) hogsheads. Aged in barrel for 20 months before blending and bottling. Aged for a further three years in bottle. Screwcap. Garnet with ruby rim. Evolved and complex aromas of sweet leather and spice but under that is violet-inflected black fruit. Lightly minty, too. Deeply aromatic but not strident. Succulent, tannins still al dente, layered and complex. (JH)

Full bottle just 1,278 g. First bottled as a single-vineyard wine back in 1952 with the vineyard acquired by Cyril Henschke in 1974. 100% 106-year-old Shiraz picked between 21 March and 14 April. Aged for 20 months prior to blending and bottling in oak hogsheads (77% French, 23% American) of which 27% were new. pH 3.54, TA 6.47 g/l. Lustrous mid crimson. Quite concentrated nose and almost claret-like impression! Quite a charge of grainy tannins on the finish and a vigorous, assertive palate impression. Ripe fruit in an obvious framework and just a little alcoholic warmth and cinnamon on the finish. (JR)