Hill of Grace

Grilled or roast beef especially served rare or with a pepper sauce.

The 2009 vintage was preceded by another cold, drought winter, with 399mm rainfall in Eden Valley for the year (a good year would see 500mm). It was the coldest August since 1951. Spring had a few heat spikes up into the mid to high 30s, some frost damage in low-lying areas, but very little rain during September and October. In fact, it was the driest September for 30 years and the driest October on record. Staggered flowering resulted in fromcool weather which reduced the fruit set. Some varieties were also pruned back hard to just a few spurs to allow them to survive with no water. Rain arrived in mid-December with around 65mm recorded, making it the wettest month of the whole year. The cool southerlies continued through into the new year, reminiscent of 2005. December didn’t record any days over 32C. January tended warm to hot with a couple of heat spikes into the high 30s and low 40s. Late January brought a record six days over 40C, not seen since 1908, causing vine stress, exacerbated by drought conditions and empty dams, followed by another week of hot weather culminating in a 46C day on Black Saturday on February 7. Fortunately, subsequent weather was mild and dry, with perfect ripening weather from March 1 moving into autumn mode. A strong change brought a general rain across the state with 10-20mm in early March, which helped with ripening and flavour development. The Indian summer in late March brought ripening forward with all the whites finished and in the winery by early April.

Matured in 78% French and 22% American hogsheads for 21 months prior to blending and bottling.

Henschke is one of Australia’s leading winemakers and grapegrowers. Henschke is recognised for its rich heritage innovative spirit and commitment to handcrafting exceptional wines for 150 years. The Henschke family’s grapegrowing and winemaking tradition spans six generations from outstanding sustainable vineyards in Eden Valley Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills. The small-medium wine business has an annual crush of 700 tonne and employs around 50 staff. Prue Henschke manages the 105 hectares of vineyard spanning from Eden Valley to Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills wine region. Henschke is one of Australia’s leading winemakers and grapegrowers. Henschke is recognised for its rich heritage innovative spirit and commitment to handcrafting exceptional wines for 150 years. The Henschke family’s grapegrowing and winemaking tradition spans six generations from outstanding sustainable vineyards in Eden Valley Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills. The small-medium wine business has an annual crush of 700 tonne and employs around 50 staff. Prue Henschke manages the 105 hectares of vineyard spanning from Eden Valley to Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills wine region. Stephen and Prue continue to craft their white wines with a focus on purity while their red wines have a strong focus on terroir using traditional winemaking techniques.