1989 Henschke Hill Of Grace Shiraz 750ml

*Minor cellarlabel stains & torn back label

Critic tasting note: (1989 vintage) “Great vintage. A fresh and attractive wine that shows some good poise and quite strong herbs scattered across red berries and plums, earthy too, lots of sage here, almost grassy. The palate has compact, lighter shape and style, fine tannins, there’s a frailty to this wine, probably due to the variable growing season, chocolate to finish. Drink now.” –James Suckling

Background

Over 100 years ago Johann Christian Henschke came from Silesia to settle and farm in the Eden Valley region. By the time third-generation Paul Alfred Henschke took over the reins in 1914, the famous Hill of Grace shiraz vines were more than 50 years old. They were planted around the 1860s by an ancestor, Nicolaus Stanitzki, in rich alluvial soil in a shallow fertile valley just north-west of the winery. Hill of Grace is a unique delineated single historic vineyard. The vineyard lies opposite a beautiful old Lutheran Church, built of local field stone, which was euphoniously named Gnadenberg, meaning Hill of Grace. Cyril Henschke, the fourth generation, made the first single-vineyard wine from these vines in 1958. The original vines are now over 100 years old. The handpicked grapes are vinified in traditional open-top fermenters.

Producer Notes

Hill of Grace is surely one of the most evocative phrases in the world of wine. It is a translation from the German Gnadenberg, a region in Silesia, and the name given to the lovely Lutheran church that overlooks the vineyard. The 4ha single-vineyard shiraz planting is situated at the historic village of Parrot Hill 4km north-west of Henschke Cellars.

Wine DescriptionDark crimson with brick red hues. Sweet, concentrated dark plum fruits with underlying hints of blackberry, leather, five spice and oak nuances. Plush, ripe plum and blackcurrant fruits combine with layers of fine velvety tannins for perfect balance and a complex yet elegant finish.Drinking Window: 1994-2030