Cyril Henschke couldn’t have predicted when he made the first ‘Mount Edelstone Claret’ in 1952 that his family – and indeed, the global wine community – would still be celebrating the wine 70 vintages later.
Back then, single-vineyard wines were anomalies in Australia. As were single-variety vineyards. Nonetheless, after falling in love with French red wines while studying at Oxford University, Ronald Angas – a direct descendant of George Fife Angas, who played a significant role in the founding of South Australia – decided in 1912 to plant a vineyard solely to shiraz on his family’s Eden Valley farm.
A friendship between the Henschke and Angas families led to Cyril purchasing the first parcels of shiraz from this vineyard, which was named for the yellow opals once found in the area (‘edelstein’ is the German word for ‘gemstone’). The success of the wine – Henschke’s first from a single vineyard, and now arguably the longest consecutively produced single-vineyard shiraz in Australia – saw the Henschke family purchase the vineyard in 1974.
Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke and his wife, viticulturist Prue Henschke, along with their three children and new senior winemaker Gwyn Olsen, recently hosted a tasting for wine media at their cellar door to celebrate the wine’s 70th vintage.
There were 26 wines from between 1954 and 2022 – roughly three or so per decade – which we tasted in brackets in order to see how the wine has evolved over time and the influences, both internal and external, that drove that evolution.
These include the shift from fortified to table wine, a move towards more refined, elegant European styles, the winemaking techniques Stephen and Prue learned while studying at Geisenheim University, changes in oak treatment, and particularly vineyard management. There was also a noticeable shift in both the colour and condition of the wines from 2002 onwards, which was when the family ditched cork in favour of Stelvin screwcaps.
It was particularly fascinating to see Mount Edelstone’s trademark savoury, bay leaf characters carried throughout, too, pointing to site as the ultimate influence.
The 2022 Mount Edelstone Shiraz will spearhead Henschke’s 2022 Single Vineyard Collection when it’s released on 6 May, 2026. See how Dave Brookes scored the wine – as well as the others in the Collection, which include the 2022 vintages of Hill of Grace, Hill of Roses, The Wheelwright, the Cyril Henschke, and the Hill of Peace – below.
Dave Brookes' Henschke 2022 Single Vineyard Collection tasting notes
2022 Hill of Grace Shiraz
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. – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion, 98 points
RRP $1100 | Drink to 2066
2022 Hill of Roses Shiraz
Shiraz sourced from a single block of 33-year-old vines matured in seasoned French oak hogsheads for 20 months. Black cherry, blackberry and dark plum characters with a touch of blackcurrant pastille and hints of milk chocolate, crushed rocks, sage, bay leaf, dried meats, earth and a gentle violet note. Beautifully balanced and pure. Flavours stretch out luxuriously and confidently on the palate, with fine tannins emerging out of that fruit and a brightness borne of Eden Valley minerals and a very special site. – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion, 96 points
RRP $495 | Drink to 2056
2022 Mount Edelstone Shiraz
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. – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion, 97 points
RRP $300 | Drink to 2056
2022 The Wheelwright Vineyard Shiraz
Shiraz sourced from the Wheelwright vineyard in the Eden Valley; aged in French oak, 10% new, for 20 months. Expressive and fruit pure with aromas of blackberry, blueberry and black cherry fruits with hints of brown spice, flowering herbs, sage, a flash of red cherry, violets, cedar, graphite and crushed rock. There's a lovely core of pure plum and blue fruits over graphite, layers of spice and citrus blossom high tones. Graceful and sleek with melt-in-the-mouth tannins and a bright, sustained finish. – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion, 96 points
RRP $165 | Drink to 2050
2022 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon
100% cabernet sauvignon matured in French oak hogsheads (5% new) for 20 months. Lifted blackberry, black cherry and blackcurrant fruits with hints of olive tapenade, cedar, crushed herbs, bay leaf, violets and crushed rocks. Harmonious and silky in its travel with a core of ripe fruit layered with spice and herbs, fine, sandy tannins and a finish that draws out beautifully. No problem tucking this away in the cellar for an extended period. – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion, 96 pointsRRP $210 | Drink to 2036
2022 Hill of Peace Semillon
From 13 rows of semillon planted on the Hill of Grace vineyard in 1952 by fourth-generation Louis Henschke, matured in seasoned 225L French oak for five months. Pure lemon, grapefruit and crunchy pear with hints of clover blossom, lanolin, crushed stone, quartz, citrus zest and lemon sorbet. It's a lovely textural wine, finely focused, with a taut lemony core and super-tight, minerally acidity that stretches the flavours out beautifully. – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion, 95 pointsRRP $90 | Drink to 2050
The 2022 single-vineyard wines will be available through Henschke, fine wine retailers and restaurants from 6 May, 2026. For more information, visit henschke.com.au.
View all Henschke tasting notes.
Image credit: Henschke and Dragan Radocaj.
