Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 2015

98 Points Huon Hooke
97 Points James Halliday

The Mount Edelstone vineyard, situated in the Eden Valley, was planted in 1912 by Ronald Angas, a descendant of George Fife Angas, who founded South Australia. Unusual for its time, it was planted solely to shiraz. The ancient 500 million-year-old soils on the vineyard are deep red-brown clay-loam to clay, resulting in low yields from over 100 year-old dry-grown, ungrafted centenarian vines. First bottled as a single-vineyard wine in 1952, it became recognised as one of the greatest shiraz wines in Australia. Matured in 78% French and 22% American (22% new, 78% seasoned) hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.

“Lozenges and rubbed herbs, sage and coriander seed. Bright red fruits, deep set and structured, a composure and balance that shows how great vineyards in great years can provide all they need within a single berry. Layered, detailed, a ball of yarn, evolutionary thread, poised to unfurl over time. A great Edelstone from a great year.” Nick Ryan, The Australian

“This was the first wine sold in bottle (’52) by Henschke, although it has had to play second fiddle to Grange since ’58 when the latter came on stream. New oak is only 22%, and the majority of the oak is French. The vintage was excellent, the flavours deep, with soft blackberry and plum fruits wending their way across the palate, cushioned by cedary oak and carefully polished tannins. It’s utterly classic drinking, with unalloyed pleasure now but no less in another 20 years.” – 97 Points James Halliday

“Deepish red colour with just a trace of purple in its rim, the bouquet is pungent raspberry, squashed overripe raspberry, classic Mt Edelstone. The wine is succulently fruit-sweet: gorgeously extravagant fruit floods the palate. It’s almost jammy, the fine but persistent tannins just pulling it together on the finish so the aftertaste and follow-through are clean and balanced and refreshing. Lush fruit flavour, astonishing texture, very old-viney, a very impressive Edelstone. A stand-out vintage for this wine.” – 98 Points Huon Hooke