1989 Henschke Hill of Grace

When you ask one friend to dine, give him your best wine! When you ask two, the second best will do! 
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Henschke Hill of Grace had to be included from the cellar as it is renown as one of Australia's most iconic wines. Made from 100% Shiraz grapes from pre-phylloxera material brought from Europe by early settlers in the mid 1800's, it is grown in the cool climate of South Australia's Eden Valley Wine Region.

Crimson/brick-red in appearance with a sweet, earthy nose. Tar, leather, green-bean, some vanillin oak, plum jam and violets complete the delightful aromatics.

The palate had sweet, spicy and jammy characters, was slightly sappy with rich chocolate, violets and a chewy fine grained tannins on the mid-palate. Powerful yet full of finesse. Very well balanced and complex. No oak monsters reside in this stunning example of classic Australian wine.

The 1989 Hill of Grace held up exceptionally well, presenting fantastic secondary fruits and tannin balance leading to a long finish. If you do decide to enjoy older wines such as this revered one, I would suggest decanting a few hours before hand to enable the wine to open up thereby maximising enjoyment and pleasure.

Remember, you are not just tasting and drinking the wine itself, but experiencing history, geography, geology, winemaking techniques and even the winemaker's psychology in the glass!

The 1989 vintage has been unavailable at the cellar door for some time, but you may be able to obtain it from wine auction houses such as Langton's.

The vintage itself in 1989 was described as great with average to good yields, giving it a comparative vintage rating of 5/7. 

Source: The Cellar. Rating: 94 Points. Website: http://henschke.com.au/