Henschke : Mount Edelstone 2019

Tasting notes and advice for Henschke’s Mount Edelstone 2019

Tasting

Color

The color is very deep, reflecting the wine’s concentration and intensity.

Nose

The nose opens with a profusion of black pepper and sage, emblematic aromatic signatures of Eden Valley. These dominant notes are accompanied by violet, raspberry seed, graphite, and black tea. With aeration, the bouquet reveals additional layers of blackcurrant, dried violets, Mediterranean herbs and spices, with a discreet touch of toasty, chocolaty oak in the background.

Palate

On the palate, the wine stands out for its remarkable finesse and elegance. The palate reveals vibrant spiced plums, blue and black cherries, wrapped in crushed floral herbs and wild forest berries. The texture seduces with its silky, ultra-fine character, with layers of silty tannins that caress the palate rather than standing apart. The structure is powerful yet balanced, with velvety, refined tannins that contribute to an extremely long finish marked by lingering notes of black pepper and sage. Overall, it offers an impression of perfect flow—elegant yet dense—with a polished, refined frame.

Food and wine pairings

The estate recommends pairing this Mount Edelstone 2019 with a beef and Guinness pâté. This wine also pairs perfectly with red meats in sauce, herb- and pepper-crusted beef preparations, or braised game.

Serving and cellaring

The Mount Edelstone 2019 can be enjoyed now, but will continue to evolve beautifully through around 2049. Although already charming, it will reach its optimal expression from 2027-2028 onward. One hour of decanting will allow the wine to fully reveal its aromatic complexity. Ideally serve between 16 and 18°C.

An iconic Australian Eden Valley shiraz from century-old vines

The estate

Founded in 1868, Henschke is one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wine estates, established in Keyneton in Eden Valley in Southern Australia. Now led by Stephen Henschke, fifth-generation winemaker, and his wife Prue Henschke, chief viticulturist, the estate spans 105 hectares across Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills. The winery distinguished itself as a pioneer of single-vineyard wines in Australia as early as the 1950s. Henschke stands out for its commitment to biodynamic and regenerative viticulture, as well as a philosophy that favors quality over expansion. In 2023, the estate obtained Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification and remains internationally recognized for terroir expressions of exceptional finesse.

The vineyard

The Mount Edelstone vineyard, whose name means “precious stone” in German, is located in northern Eden Valley in Southern Australia, about three kilometers south of the famous Hill of Grace vineyard. Planted exclusively to shiraz in 1912 by Ronald Angas on 16 hectares, it sits on ancient soils several million years old, ranging from deep brown-red clay-loam to clay, with areas of sandy loam over gravel and bedrock interspersed with pockets of clay. These well-drained soils naturally limit vine vigor. The vineyard benefits from Eden Valley’s high elevation, creating pronounced day–night temperature variations that promote ripening while preserving natural acidity and aromatic complexity. The century-old, own-rooted, dry-farmed vines are managed according to organic and biodynamic farming principles, with wheat-straw mulching and the use of biodynamic preparations.

The vintage

The 2019 vintage proved particularly challenging in Eden Valley. A dry winter, spring and summer, combined with above-average temperatures in January and February, advanced ripeness across all varieties and led to an early start to harvest. At Mount Edelstone, unfavorable weather conditions at budbreak and during flowering disrupted fruit set, resulting in catastrophically low yields. Stephen Henschke described the situation as so serious that they had to “send out a search party to find the grapes,” with only 5.5 tons harvested across the entire vineyard. Despite these exceptional challenges, the quality of the fruit picked proved remarkable, with concentrated, healthy grapes in perfect balance.

Winemaking and aging

The Mount Edelstone 2019 harvest was carried out by hand in small crates. Parcel-by-parcel vinification is conducted with indigenous yeasts in historic open-top concrete vats, built by previous generations of the family. The wine underwent a total maceration of 22 to 25 days depending on the parcels, with manual pump-overs. After the first run-off, the wine was filled into barrels for malolactic fermentation. Aging took place over 18 months in French oak barrels (80%, including 27% new) and American oak (20%). The minimalist approach favors gentle intervention to preserve the wine’s natural complexity, without excessive racking, fining, or aggressive filtration. The wine was bottled under screw cap.

Grape variety

100% shiraz from century-old, own-rooted vines planted in 1912.