2017 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz

Other Reviews....
Australia's finest single-vineyard site? I think so. With its core of gnarled shiraz vines planted circa 1860 and its picture-perfect location alongside the Gnadenberg church, it is a much adored and discussed vineyard which has been producing stellar wines since the first single-vineyard Hill of Grace was released in 1958. Today, those original vines are bolstered with its 'young' 100+ and 35+yo kinfolk and aged in 83/17% French/American oak hogsheads (29% new) for 18 months. Grace by name, grace by nature; it's a perfectly framed, elegant snapshot of pristine fruit, site and season. Precisely ripened berry fruits are underscored with notes of Asian five-spice, sage, jasmine, licorice, mocha, blackberry pastille, charcuterie, wild flowers and cherry clafoutis. Pitch-perfect and elegant on the palate, the tannin-acid architecture tuned and sympatico with the pristine ancestor-vine fruit and a very long, silken finish that resonates with style and place. My goodness it's lovely. Drink by 2065.
99 Points
Dave Brookes - James Halliday's Wine Companion (February 2022)

Strikes its own level of fragrant complexity and fruit vitality that places it a cut above the other 2017 Henschke Eden Valley shiraz wines, with aromas of boysenberries, red plums, blackberries and mulberries, swathed in baking spices, sage, brown pepper and forest wood. So fresh and very spicy. The palate has a very layered and elegantly fine brand of tannin, with a rich, velvety array of fresh dark fruit, such as blackberry and satsuma plum, swirling spice flavors and a late dusting of white pepper. The acidity is so well balanced with such fine and elegant tannins. Very detailed. The tannins creep and clench, claiming stealthy palate length that bodes well for cellaring potential. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
98 Points
JamesSuckling.com (April 2022)

The 2017 Hill of Grace Shiraz offers notes of blueberry skin, crushed granite, essence of cassis, blackcurrant pastille, black tea, hung deli meat, white truffle and mushroom. It is inky, intense, black and dark, with seemingly endless length. The palate is initially sweet, with a real "bottom of the pot" jasmine tea bitterness to the tannins, however, this remains ajunct to the nose, which is decidedly savory. What is clear, is that the old vines shine through the conditions of the vintage; they shine through the hand of Stephen, and they show a density and solidity of texture that young vines achieve through so few hands. This wine was perhaps a touch meatier (not chunky, literally referring to meat/pastrami/deli meats) and more savory than expected. However, it remains a thundering display of line, length and complexity. Drink 2022 - 2047.
96 Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (May 2022)

Muscular with great vitality and sensuality, Hill of Grace 2017 combines gravitas with grace. Supple swathes of fruit – blackberry with blueberry and red cherry – come scented with china ink, tinder bush, black pepper, star anise, wattleseed, tea leaf and baking spices. Tobacco pouch, mulch and subtle game undertones strike a savoury note. Rafts of seamless, spicy tannins build and buoy layers of flavour. Terrific authority, strength, complexity and length. Drink 2023 - 2047.
99 Points
Sarah Ahmed - Decanter.com (March 2022)

“The 2017 season was a really fantastic vintage for riesling, nice long cool start to the season, slightly late, and not without a few surprises”, says Stephen Henschke, “once we got to Autumn things seemed to even out and we got nice high acidity. We gave the name of this vintage ‘vitality’, beautiful, lively, fresh and pushing toward boundary of spicy, fruits, crushed herbs and similar”.
“Vitality, black fruited, complex, spicy” says Stephen, “a fragrant year”. A low yielding year, the impact of wind in spring played a hand, “despite the set up, it was an easy ride through ripening”, offers Prue, “full bunches, they weren’t that big, but, yeah, easy”.
“More stressful for the winemaking team”, says Stephen, “we’d go out tasting, and say, ‘nope, let’s come back next week’, go again and say, ‘nope, another week’, so the frustration was looking for the intensity of flavours and tannin maturity”. And here we have the 2017.
So even and balanced, gentleness but with plenty of intensity and detail, the tannins so ultra fine and silky they’re barely there. Lots of spicy, herbal, dark fruited fragrance, with Chinese five spice, dark cherry, salted plums. Similar flavours, woven beautifully together, persistent, so luxurious, bright, finishing with lingering peppery spice and faint, dark fruit and minerally character. An understated release but with incredible complexity. Superb in any language. Drink 2025 - 2040
95 Points
Mike Bennie - The Wine Front (March 2022)

Sumptuous nose with an amazing array of savoury notes and with something distinctly mineral. Broad and absolutely bone dry – a contrast to Hill of Roses and Mount Edelstone. Very serious, almost gruff on the palate. Long with slightly more obvious alcohol than some. The tannins are almost hidden ('we spend a lot of time walking through the vineyard tasting for tannin maturity', according to Stephen Henschke). Amazingly long. But this is by far the most youthful of these new releases. Drink 2024 – 2040.
18+ / 20 Points
JancisRobinson.com (March 2022)

While complex and intricate, this also has immediate charm and drinkability, with a supple frame that firms up softly on the finish. Boasts basil, kirsch, marzipan, Kalamata olive, white truffle and notes of framboise that mingle together effortlessly, but it's the finish where the wine really gains momentum, with wave after wave of details, including bittersweet chocolate, cumin, dried ginger and chocolate covered maraschino cherry. Shiraz. Drink now.
97 points
Wine Spectator