Henschke Vintage Report 2012

I would like to welcome Henschke to the vinetage diary. It will be very interesting to see what is happening with this medium side producer as they take fruit from the Eden Valley, Barossa and Adelaide Hills.

Johann Henschke first established his vineyard in 1862 with the Hill of Grace vineyard being planted in 1891.  This vineyard is a historic piece of land with some of the oldest Shiraz vines in Australia that has been a single vineyard wine since 1958.  This is astonishing since during that period most of corporate Australia was heading down the exact opposite path. The winery is now run by Stephen and Prue along bio-dynamic principles.

Stephen contacted me yesterday with this report.

Henschke Vintage 2012

The 2012 vintage is looking to provide excellent quality with average yields from our Eden Valley & Lenswood vineyards. The weather to date has been mild and cool helping with flavour development, the canopies are holding well, and with the short term weather forecast appearing favourable further into harvest, the 2012 vintage is in a great position.

We are two weeks into crushing pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, gewürztraminer & chardonnay from Lenswood which is showing exquisite fruit flavours, length & acidity. Riesling, semillon and the first picks of shiraz from Eden Valley have also been crushed, showing great purity, colour intensity and strikingly mature tannins.

Stephen’s quote is as follows..... ‘Early predictions for the 2012 vintage are very exciting but only time will tell, as you really don’t know until the fruit is in the fermenters.’

Semillon from the Hill of Grace vineyard for our iconic Louis Semillon - Semillon planted in 1952 so celebrating their 60th birthday this year!

100 year old Semillon vines in Eden Valley - another Louis component!

Our first Pick of vintage; the gewürztraminer at Lenswood

Chardonnay from our Lenswood vineyard “joker block” which will make the Croft chardonnay. Stephen says “Fantastic flavour, pear nectarine grapefruit nice minerality and acid...”

There is not one straight row in the “Joker” block; these 27 year old vines are handpicked

One of our 1950's concrete fermenters - full of Shiraz from the light Pass sub-region which may possibly go into the Tappa Pass Shiraz