Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz Gift Boxed 2021

Over 180 years ago, Johann Christian Henschke came from Silesia to settle and build his farm in the Eden Valley region. By the time third-generation Paul Alfred Henschke took over the reins in 1914, the now famed Hill of Grace vines were more than 50 years old. The original vines, known as the ‘Grandfathers’, were planted around 1860 by an ancestor, Nicolaus Stanitzki, in rich alluvial soil in a shallow fertile valley just north-west of the Henschke family winery. The red-brown earth grading to deep silty loam has excellent moisture-holding capacity for these dry-grown vines, that sit at an altitude of 400m, with an average rainfall of 520mm. Hill of Grace is a unique, delineated, historic single vineyard that lies opposite a beautiful old Lutheran church, which is named after a region in Silesia known as Gnadenberg, translating to ‘Hill of Grace’. Cyril Henschke made the first single-vineyard shiraz wine from this vineyard in 1958 from handpicked grapes vinified in traditional open-top fermenters. The original Ancestors (vines over 125 years) are now approximately 160 years old and remain the heart of the Hill of Grace wine, along with a small selection of Centenarians (vines over 100 years), Survivors (vines over 70 years), and Old Vines (vines over 35 years), all planted on their own roots.

VINTAGE

Average rainfall in the winter of 2020 was followed by even budburst, with buds showing good fruitfulness. Frost damage was significant, and spring was cloudy, with good rains pre-flowering, followed by short bursts of hot weather in late November. The late-flowering varieties were impacted by heat at the end of November and strong winds in early December damaged the canopies, although the crop remained disease free. January was dry, with a burst of heat prior to a perfectly timed rain event at veraison in early February. The lead up to vintage was cool, cloudy and mostly dry. After our coolest summer for 19 years, a warm autumn provided ideal conditions for ripening in our red varieties, achieving excellent colour, flavour intensity and tannin maturity. The 2021 vintage will be considered a standout of the decade; remembered for complex wines with exceptional varietal expression, balance and purity, that speak of the ancient land from which they originate. With a likeness to the high-quality vintages of 1986, 2002, 2005, and 2015, all of which were mild seasons, the 2021 single-vineyard wines show an impressive potential for long-term ageing in ideal cellaring conditions.

Matured in 13% new and 87% seasoned (84% French, 16% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.