Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | Australia > South Australia > Eden Valley |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
Form a single vineyard of 105yo shiraz vines on Mount Edelstone in the Eden Valley, farmed according to organic and biodynamic practices. Aged in 86/14% French and American oak (26% new) for 18 months. I was lucky enough to live next door to the Mount Edelstone vineyard for 8 years and have consumed a fair amount of Cooper's Green on the bench at the summit; I have seen the amount of fastidious work Henschke put into the vineyard. It's a special place. Bright, intense blackberry and blackcurrant fruits mesh with hints of Asian spice, tar, turned earth, rosehip, sage and high-cocoa dark chocolate. Displaying a beautiful, pure, dark fruit flow, it's a wonderfully complex wine with ripe long-grain tannins and sprightly mineral acid drive, finishing very long and graceful with a core of cassis and spice. Will cellar magnificently.
Deep, dark-red to brick-red colour, with an intense bouquet featuring strong notes of 'eucalypt forest floor'. The wine is soft and sinewy in mouth-feel, just full-bodied and quite elegant but for the kick of alcohol at the finish. The dried-herb aromas are complex and there's a dominant note of sage. The finish has a touch of bitterness that demands just a little more time will resolve. It's concentrated and super-powerful and the structure is impressive. Long-term.
Much richer than The Wheelwright (though made in exactly the same way), and layered, with balsam notes. Lots of savoury herbs on the nose ('very Eden Valley' according to Stephen Henschke) and richly nuanced on the palate with a dry finish. Very subtle oak indeed. Velvety tannins and something saline, plus a hint of spearmint. So clean and refreshing on the end. Very clever winemaking. 14.5%
Drink 2023 – 2033
Planted in 1912 and with an easterly aspect and lower altitude (400m) than The Wheelright, Prue Henschke describes this soil type in this historic vineyard as ‘a dream’. Sandy loam over gravelly red clay and, below, layers of micaceous schist equal the perfect Henschke soil sandwich! Prue recognises that these strata give her wines more vigour and more power, and I can echo these thoughts because this is one of the most expressive young Henschke wines I have seen. There is no doubt that the flavours and perfumes in the glass directly reflect this precise site; this is all you can ask of a great wine. The purity of the blackberry theme is sensational and while the French oak does what French oak always tries to do – add gravitas and detail – it is the 14% American oak from the Appalachian Mountains that adds style, richness, and a touch of glamour to proceedings. After all of the action, the finish is respectfully prim, and tart and I love it when wines finish correctly on the palate with a ‘proper full stop’. I am aware that I get rather over-excited about Mount Edelstone, and so I paid particular attention to how this wine opened up over the course of four days, and it simply unfurled an immense array of charm and intricacy that, on first tasting, was discreetly hidden behind panels of flavour. This is a thrillingly controlled wine with invigorating flavours, and it will make three decades in a good cellar. (Drink 2025 – 2050)
This has quite elegant red plum, raspberry and so much spice in this cooler vintage, together with gentle earthiness, then red plum and such expressive fragrance. Opens up to such primary complexity with air. There’s sleekness to the palate – acidity has thrived in this cooler vintage – and it carries a sense of depth and purpose in terms of fruit expression and is so focused. Long, very fresh finish. This cooler vintage suits Mount Edelstone. Lower yields with good concentration. Drink over the next decade or more. Screw cap.
Kaleidoscopic, this glorious vintage is terroir translucent, transporting you to the vineyard with its signature aromas of dried sage, Eucalyptus olida (aka Strawberry Gum), wild mint, wattleseed, nutmeg and tinder. Soaring and super-expressive, these scents bring compelling dimension and meld exquisitely on the sweet, juicy plum and bramble palate, with its cocoa nib and earthy hints. Graceful, willowy tannins and mineral acidity make for a long, fluid, markedly perfumed finish. Irresistible already! Drinking Window 2022 – 2042