2019 The Wheelwright

Eden Valley

Shiraz

Dark crimson with violet hues. Alluring aromas of raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, violets and vanilla flower, with lifted notes of anise, bay leaf, cedar, black pepper and sandalwood. A complex and elegant palate of Satsuma plum, mulberry, blackberry, sage and savoury spices, balanced by bright acidity and fine-grained tannins for a long fruit-driven finish.

$155.00
$155.00
Dark crimson with violet hues. Alluring aromas of raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, violets and vanilla flower, with ...

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Due to limited production, bottle limits apply.
BACKGROUND

The Wheelwright, first released to commemorate 150 years of Henschke family winemaking, pays tribute to our founder, winemaker Johann Christian Henschke. He was among the first generation of the early German Silesian community of the Barossa in South Australia and established the family winery in 1868. Johann Christian arrived as a skilled stonemason and wheelwright and planted his first vineyards in the high country of the picturesque Eden Valley. This wine is produced from old vine shiraz planted in 1968, a century later, by fourth-generation Cyril Henschke near the village of Eden Valley at 470m altitude. As per the Barossa Old Vine Charter, an ‘old vine’ is equal to or greater than 35 years of age.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Varieties: 100% Shiraz
Harvest Date: 20 – 22 March
Alcohol: 14.5%
Vintage Rating: Exceptional vintage

Maturation: Matured in 21% new and 79% seasoned (65% French, 35% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.
Cellaring Potential: 30+ years (from vintage)

VINTAGE

A mild and dry winter, followed by a dry and windy spring, saw frost events in September and November that disrupted budburst and young shoot growth. A hailstorm in late November impacted the fresh young shoots carrying the crop, with shiraz the most affected. Warmer than average temperatures in January and February, including the hottest summer’s day on record, led to the advancement of maturity and early onset of vintage. Warm weather in late summer maintained low disease pressure and small berry size, providing optimal ripening conditions. Despite miniscule yields, 2019 was a high-quality vintage with beautiful expressions of varietal character, good structure and excellent flavour intensity. The 2019 vintage will be remembered as a challenging season where regenerative viticulture and organic and biodynamic practices were vital to nurturing the health of the Henschke vineyards through an exceptionally warm and dry year.

TASTING NOTES

The Wheelwright, first released to commemorate 150 years of Henschke family winemaking, pays tribute to our founder, winemaker Johann Christian Henschke. He was among the first generation of the early German Silesian community of the Barossa in South Australia and established the family winery in 1868. Johann Christian arrived as a skilled stonemason and wheelwright and planted his first vineyards in the high country of the picturesque Eden Valley. This wine is produced from old vine shiraz planted in 1968, a century later, by fourth-generation Cyril Henschke near the village of Eden Valley at 470m altitude. As per the Barossa Old Vine Charter, an ‘old vine’ is equal to or greater than 35 years of age.

Varieties: 100% Shiraz
Harvest Date: 20 – 22 March
Alcohol: 14.5%
Vintage Rating: Exceptional vintage

Maturation: Matured in 21% new and 79% seasoned (65% French, 35% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.
Cellaring Potential: 30+ years (from vintage)

A mild and dry winter, followed by a dry and windy spring, saw frost events in September and November that disrupted budburst and young shoot growth. A hailstorm in late November impacted the fresh young shoots carrying the crop, with shiraz the most affected. Warmer than average temperatures in January and February, including the hottest summer’s day on record, led to the advancement of maturity and early onset of vintage. Warm weather in late summer maintained low disease pressure and small berry size, providing optimal ripening conditions. Despite miniscule yields, 2019 was a high-quality vintage with beautiful expressions of varietal character, good structure and excellent flavour intensity. The 2019 vintage will be remembered as a challenging season where regenerative viticulture and organic and biodynamic practices were vital to nurturing the health of the Henschke vineyards through an exceptionally warm and dry year.

18/20
“Dark but transparent garnet. Warm, black-fruit compote on the nose. Top note of tamarind. Salty-sweet. Still quite youthful with a strong liquorice note on the palate. Tightens to a bone-dry finish after a glorious cocktail of fruit and a suggestion of cinders on the mid palate. Long and I found myself once again wanting to use the word 'glorious’.”

JANCIS ROBINSON, JANSCISROBINSON.COM

18/20
"...with red, not black tones, and needs a couple of years to assimilate its flavours. There is a degree of lusciousness here, and while it sits somewhere in a flavour spectrum between Barossa Valley proper and Adelaide Hills wines, it seems a little lacking in harmony right now. Give it time.”

MATTHEW JUKES, MATTHEWJUKES.COM

97 points
“A particularly generous and forthcoming wine, with blackberry and plum driving the immediate response, the luscious bouquet quickly followed by the intense palate before a second response of elegance and finesse flows from wonderfully crafted tannins.”

JAMES HALLIDAY, THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN

96 points
“Intense and expressive blackberry, brambly, dark chocolate aromas with graphite, herb garden nuances. Inky deep blackberry, blackcurrant, mocha, roasted chestnut chinotto flavours, lovely sinuous chocolaty textures, attractive volume and fresh well-balanced acidity. Bitter-sweet, touch ferruginous at the finish with aniseed notes. Generous, supple and chocolaty. A classical Barossa style with a hint of Eden Valley sage.”

ANDREW CAILLARD MW, THE VINTAGE JOURNAL

96 points
“An expressive offering from the low-yielding 2019 vintage that shows the trademark Henschke elegance. Supple blackberry and blueberry fruits with hints of fine spice, crushed herbs, sage, redcurrant, purple florals, cedar and a liminal glimpse of wintergreen in the background. Fine, powdered sandy tannins and lacy acidity a simpatico base for the graceful fruits travel across the palate, finishing long and true.”

DAVE BROOKES, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION