2017 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz

Other Reviews....
Form a single vineyard of 105yo shiraz vines on Mount Edelstone in the Eden Valley, farmed according to organic and biodynamic practices. Aged in 86/14% French and American oak (26% new) for 18 months. I was lucky enough to live next door to the Mount Edelstone vineyard for 8 years and have consumed a fair amount of Cooper's Green on the bench at the summit; I have seen the amount of fastidious work Henschke put into the vineyard. It's a special place. Bright, intense blackberry and blackcurrant fruits mesh with hints of Asian spice, tar, turned earth, rosehip, sage and high-cocoa dark chocolate. Displaying a beautiful, pure, dark fruit flow, it's a wonderfully complex wine with ripe long-grain tannins and sprightly mineral acid drive, finishing very long and graceful with a core of cassis and spice. Will cellar magnificently. Drink by 2052.
97 Points
Dave Brookes - James Halliday's Wine Companion (February 2022)

This has quite elegant red plum, raspberry and so much spice in this cooler vintage, together with gentle earthiness, then red plum and such expressive fragrance. Opens up to such primary complexity with air. There’s sleekness to the palate – acidity has thrived in this cooler vintage – and it carries a sense of depth and purpose in terms of fruit expression and is so focused. Long, very fresh finish. This cooler vintage suits Mount Edelstone. Lower yields with good concentration. Drink over the next decade or more. Screw cap.
95 Points
JamesSuckling.com (April 2022)

Hung deli meat, star anise and blackberry adorn the nose of the 2017 Mount Edelstone Vineyard Shiraz. Discerning this is akin to peering over the counter at an Italian deli, with meat, cheeses and garlic hanging from the ceiling: it's enveloping and welcome. On the palate, the wine is bright and concentrated, with layers of salted blueberry, licorice and staunch (yet fine) tannins. It has flexibility and pliability, but it also has shape and form—all of it encased in a medium-bodied shell. It is savory and lean above all else, with bacon fat adorning all edges. Drink 2022 - 2042.
95+ Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (May 2022)

Kaleidoscopic, this glorious vintage is terroir translucent, transporting you to the vineyard with its signature aromas of dried sage, Eucalyptus olida (aka Strawberry Gum), wild mint, wattleseed, nutmeg and tinder. Soaring and super-expressive, these scents bring compelling dimension and meld exquisitely on the sweet, juicy plum and bramble palate, with its cocoa nib and earthy hints. Graceful, willowy tannins and mineral acidity make for a long, fluid, markedly perfumed finish. Irresistible already! Drink 2022 - 2042.
98 Points
Sarah Ahmed - Decanter.com (March 2022)

“The 2017 harvest had poor set, stayed quite cool early on, then a mad wind in spring which knocked a lot of the shoots off”, says Prue Henschke. Interesting soil profile; sandy loam, but of distinction because due to the prevalence of gravel in it, “this is a significant thing in Edelstone, the root depth is large, expansive, the vines work in a different way, the resulting fruit very much does its own thing”.
So fragrant, incredible high toned floral, spicy perfume – almost entirely that. Enticing start. Very fine, very composed to taste, a precise and poised release with tension and freshness the major words here. Dark fruited, yes, inky plum and dark berries, but a graphite and herb-laced tannin swish that forms a sheath and draws the wine long. SPice. Again. So much. Finesse personified. So beautiful. Drink 2022 - 2040+
95 Points
Mike Bennie - The Wine Front (March 2022)

Much richer than The Wheelwright (though made in exactly the same way), and layered, with balsam notes. Lots of savoury herbs on the nose ('very Eden Valley' according to Stephen Henschke) and richly nuanced on the palate with a dry finish. Very subtle oak indeed. Velvety tannins and something saline, plus a hint of spearmint. So clean and refreshing on the end. Very clever winemaking. Drink 2023 – 2033.
17.5 / 20 Points
JancisRobinson.com (March 2022)