13 Henschke Icons
4x Mount Edelstone & 2x Hill of Grace Verticals
Incl. 6 Museum Releases
Tuesday, August 25th
Hosted by Gwyn Olsen | Senior Winemaker
Dinner: 6.30–9.30pm | 11 wines and 4 courses | $645
Private dining room, limited to 12 guests
The Henschke Family
As one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wineries, Henschke has been making wine for over 150 years in the Barossa’s Eden Valley. Established in 1868, Henschke is resolute in its desire for complete integration of vineyard and winery, through six generations of family grapegrowing and winemaking tradition in the Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills.
Gwyn Olsen | Senior Winemaker
Fascinated with science from a young age, it was Gwyn’s interest in the natural environment that led her to study a career in winemaking. After completing a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, she went on to study a post graduate degree in oenology at the University of Adelaide in 2005. Since then, she has completed three vintages in France in Languedoc, Saint-Émilion and Burgundy, and held the Assistant Winemaker role at Villa Maria in New Zealand before being promoted to Operations Winemaker. For her next challenge, Gwyn accepted the position of Senior Winemaker with McWilliams covering the pivotal role of building production across New Zealand and the Hunter Valley. In 2013, she was appointed Chief Winemaker at Briar Ridge, followed by the role of Head Winemaker for Davis Premium Vineyards and Pepper Tree Wines in 2015. Ahead of the 2023 vintage, Gwyn relocated to the Barossa’s Eden Valley and joined Henschke as Senior Winemaker. Her exceptional winemaking skills and robust knowledge of winery operations means she has quickly become an integral part of the Henschke management team. Gwyn’s enthusiasm and dedication to the wine industry, a passion for creating wines with a strong sense of place and the confidence to push boundaries in winemaking is evident in her success to date.
The Wine List
First Course
2025 Henschke Julius Riesling
97 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
Pale straw in the glass with a flash of green and beautifully defined aromas of freshly squeezed lime juice, green apple, Bickford's lime cordial and grapefruit. You'll find hints of crushed quartz, Christmas lily, orange blossom, almond paste, ozone, lemongrass and makrut lime. Sleek, focused and wonderfully pure. There is an ache of precision and minerality that marks its passage over the palate, all tension and velocity and cadence. Jeez, it is a lovely wine, finishing dry and slaty with just a glimpse of umami as it trails off. Closure: Screw cap. 11.7% alcohol. (Drink by 2040)
2008 Henschke Julius Riesling (Museum)
96 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
A striking wine; absolutely class aromas and flavours with a mix of lime zest, leaf and a hint of spice, all tightly interwoven.
94 Points - Jermey Oliver, Oliver’s Wines
A fine, subtle and finely layered riesling that initially appears quite fragile before revealing the full extent of its texture, length and depth. A delicate perfume of minerals, lime juice and lemon zest precedes an elegant, restrained palate whose fresh flavours of white peach, pear and apple are supported by a fine chalkiness. It finishes very dry and savoury.
Grilled prawns, cauliflower cream, nduja
Second Course
2024 Henschke The Nurturer Carignan Blend
95 Points - Tony Love, Wine Pilot
Named in honour of Prue Henschke, viticulturist, environmentalist and botanist, this wine perhaps is a next step into the future for the Henschke team given their long-play with Rhônish-style wines such as Johann’s Garden and Henry’s Seven. The detail is important: there are seven varieties here all with similar southern French callings, in volumetric order 22% Carignan, 19% Counoise, 17% Grenache Gris, 15% Grenache Noir, 11% Clairette, 9% Cinsault and bringing up the rear 7% Shiraz. If you reckon that’s crazy enough, now consider each was added in sequence as they were harvested into the one single ferment, all up over 15 days. The wine is lighter in colour, alcohol and weight that its Henschke siblings, with a focus on fragrant red fruit and dusted minerality, bright berry juiciness and tang, light in tannin, grounded with a crushed fresh thyme note. While all the winemaking technicals will thrill the geeks, the sipping is a pure joy to the senses. Winemaker Gwyn Olsen told me “it was so fun to make”. Happily, it’s just as much fun to drink.
2012 Henschke Henry's Seven Shiraz Blend
93 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
A 68/13/6/5% blend of shiraz, grenache, viognier (co-fermented) and mourvedre; 100% 2-5-year-old French oak. Vivid purple-crimson; fragrant, almost flowery bouquet, Schillings Block diagonally opposite Hill of Grace; supple red cherry/plum; very fine tannins.
1998 Henschke Keyneton Euphonium (Museum)
93 points - James Halliday, Wine Companion
Clear and bright red-purple; a fresh, lively berry-accented bouquet of light to moderate intensity is followed by a sophisticated palate in which everything flows seductively, through sweet berry fruit, gently sweet/spicy vanilla oak and soft tannins.
Manchego croquettes, salsa verde
Third Course
2022 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
97 Points - Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
The 70th anniversary release of this much-loved and iconic Australian wine. A hail event reduced yields somewhat, with perfect instances of summer rainfall and a mild, drawn-out finish to the growing season. The end result was an exceptionally strong vintage. Bright magenta crimson with aromas of pure plum, blackberry and black cherry and a flash of blue fruits over sage, peppercorn, rosehip, mace, bay leaf, crushed stone, herb garden, gentle cedar tones, milk chocolate, pan juices and, further back, tobacco and crushed rocks. Beautifully balanced on the palate, showing a graceful arc of travel, the fine tannins melting away into the fruit. The finish stretches out persistently, all detail and elegance.
97 points - Angus Hughson, Vinous
The 2022 Shiraz Mount Edelstone, matured in only 8% new oak, presents pristine aromas of fruit pastille, licorice, raspberry and clove with undertones of savoury beef stock. This shows outstanding volume of flavour with spice tones, good acidity and mouth-coating tannins. A final influx of savoury earthy tones supports the strong, sustained finish, marking this as a great vintage.
2013 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines
Tyson Stelzer Top 250 Australian Wines of 2024
19/20 points - Matthew Jukes
Made from 101-year-old Eden Valley Shiraz vines, and coming from a biodynamically and organically farmed block this is a phenomenal vintage of Mount Edelstone... Henschke decided to release the 2012 and then the 2014 and then they went back to 2013 because it is blockier and more concentrated than the other two vintages. Heroic and with epic tannins this wine is an instant classic and it has tracked the style of the 2013 vintage perfectly. The nose is sensational with layers and layers of black fruit and liquorice spice. Serious and incredibly long and heroic I am hard pressed to think of a more exciting and imposing Mount Edelstone.
98 Points - Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal
Medium deep crimson. Scented blackberry pastille, herb garden sage aromas with dark chocolate, touch tobacco leaf notes. Smooth and concentrated wine with attractive pure blackberry, mulberry, chinotto flavours, fine loose-knit chalky/ al dente textures and underlying mocha notes. Builds up powdery/ graphite firm with hints of tobacco leaf. Delicious bottle-aged wine with lovely symmetry and backbone. Henschke-embossed bottle. Vino-lok seal. 14.5% alc Drink now–032+.
1992 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz (Museum)
94 Points - James Halliday , Halliday Wine Companion
Youthful purple-red; fresh, scented cherry/berry/spice aromas, reflecting a relatively cool vintage but showing lovely varietal character. There is delicious spicy/cherry/berry fruit on the palate with sweet vanillin oak. A luscious wine with everything going for it.
1989 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz (Museum)
Chevre gnocchi, roasted mushrooms, almond XO
Fourth Course
2022 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz
98 Points - Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Australia's finest and most famous single-site shiraz. Incredible ancestor vines of 160 years of age are the heart of the wine, with additions of centenarian (100-plus years), survivor (70-plus years) and old-vine (35-plus years) shiraz; matured in seasoned French oak for 20 months. It's the aromatic detail, texture and elegance that immediately stands out with the Hill of Grace. Pure satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits with hints of bay leaf, mace, sage, Chinese five-spice, panforte, cedar, tapenade, black pepper, pan juices, graphite, dried meats and purple floral tones. The amplitude of this wine always amazes me. Everything just resonates perfectly; fruit, tannin and acidity are all in harmony and the arc across the palate is perfectly timed. Stunning.
2012 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz
99 points, Sarah Ahmed, Decanter
99 points, James Halliday, Wine Companion
98 points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
97 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
99 points, Sarah Ahmed, Decanter
A mild vintage with an Indian summer fluently articulates Eden Valley's lifted aromatics. Distinctly Australian rat-a-tat peppertree and black pepper notes bring percussive resonance to a fresh, intense blackberry and raspberry core interlaced with dynamic mille-feuille tannins, earthy beetroot, piquant pimento, mulchy tobacco and dried flower riffs. This demonstrates exceptional balance, length and finesse, and is broachable now but will reward patience. Aged for 18 months in 85% French and 15% American hogsheads, 58% new.
99 points, James Halliday, Wine Companion
It's been worth the wait, and then some, for this is a flawless Hill of Grace. It is the ultimate iron fist in a velvet glove. While the fruit remains supreme, there are savoury tannins to support the 50-year cellaring potential of the wine. Perfect colour, fragrant dark cherry/berry aromas and flavours, positive tannin and French oak support, great aftertaste. Special. Screwcap. 14.5% alcohol. (Drink by 2062)
Duck confit, kipflers, candied walnuts, fetta cos
To finish…
Espresso, Lamont’s Bon Bon muscat chocolate