RRP:
|Medium garnet with crimson hues. Lifted aromas of red plum, red currant, blue and black berries, rose hip and black pepper, with notes of bay leaf, sage, crushed flowering herbs, anise and hints of cedar. The palate is rich and plush, deep and concentrated with layers of spicy red cherry and red currant, interwoven with anise and vanilla. Balanced acidity gives freshness and poise, finishing with elegant, velvety, fine-grained tannins for a long fruit-driven finish.
Product Information
- Vintage
- 2017
- Grape variety breakdown
100% Shiraz
- Technical Details
- Alcohol: 14.5% | pH:
3.52
| Acidity:6.02g/L
| Volume: 750mls
- Harvest Date
26 April - 1 May
- Maturation
Matured in 16% new and 84% seasoned (87% French, 13% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.
- Background
The Wheelwright pays tribute to the founding father of the Henschke winery and vineyards, winemaker Johann Christian Henschke. He was among the first generation of the early Barossa German pioneers of 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. Decanting is recommended before serving. The inaugural release, the 2015 vintage, marked 150 years of Henschke family winemaking.
- Cellaring potential
Exceptional vintage; 30+ years (from vintage).
- Serving Temperature
17°C
Vintage Description
A later start to picking and a mild period of ripening finished with the last grapes being picked in mid-May. A wet 2016 winter gave us a good foundation for our predominantly dry-grown vines on their own roots, and a cool, wet and fiercely windy spring followed, with a slightly higher spring rainfall than the Barossa Valley, which delayed flowering, though conditions during set meant that yields were at average levels. A mild summer with regular rainfall events followed, which allowed the grapes to reach full physiological maturity. The significant rainfall events largely missed our area and therefore we harvested the majority of our grapes in healthy condition. As always, careful hand picking in the vineyard and sorting of grapes as they were processed made sure that quality was not compromised.
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