1997 Henschke Hill of Grace

Notes sourced from Henschke.

Produced from 100% shiraz grapes from pre-phylloxera material brought from Europe by the early German settlers in the mid 1800s and grown in the Eden Valley wine region.
Hill of Grace is a unique delineated single historic vineyard. The famous century-old Hill of Grace vines were planted around the 1860s by an ancestor, Nicolaus Stanitzki, in rich alluvial soil in a shallow fertile valley just north-west of the winery. The vineyard lies opposite a beautiful old Lutheran Church, built of local field stone, which was euphoniously named Gnadenberg, meaning 'Hill of Grace'.
The 1997 vintage experienced average winter rainfall (after two drought years), a mild spring with excellent flowering conditions, dry and cool summer. The cool conditions allowed for a long slow ripening with excellent flavour development.
Tasting Notes: Deep crimson ruby in colour. The wine exhibits sweet ripe spicy plum, raspberry and blackberry aromas with exotic five spice, white pepper, anise, tar and dusty hints followed by sweet, perfumed, leather, dark chocolate and smoky hints. Sweet fruit on the palate, rich, soft and complex with vibrant texture, layers of velvety chewy tannins and a long and silky finish.
A Great vintage, optimum drinking year 2007.
14.2% alcohol volume.