Henschke Henry's Seven Barossa Shiraz 2017 (Australia)

Description

Deep garnet with violet hues in the glass. A striking bouquet of ripe plum, raspberry, blueberry and notes of blackberry intertwine with savoury notes of black pepper, flowering herbs, fresh tarragon and bay leaf. Dark plum, berry compote, rhubarb and raspberry flavours lead to a peppery mid-palate of vibrant red berry acidity and fine-grained tannins, finishing with lingering flavours of mulberry and black pepper.

A later start to picking and a mild period of ripening finished with the last grapes being picked in mid-May. A wet 2016 Winter gave a good foundation for our predominantly dry-grownvines on their own roots, and a cool, wet and fiercely windy Spring followed, with a slightly higher spring rainfall than the Barossa Valley, which delayed flowering, though conditions during set meant that yields were at average levels. A mild Summer with regular rainfall events followed, which allowed the grapes to readh full physiological maturity. The significant rainfall events largely missed the area and therefore winemakers harvested the majority of the grapes in healthy condition. As always, careful hand picking in the vineyard and sorting of grapes as they were processed made sure that puality was not comprimised.

The Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, Viognier blend is a triute to Henry Evans who planted the first vineyard of seven acres at Keyneton in 1853. He quickly developed a reputation for producing the best wines in the southern colony. Following Henry's death in 1868, his widow Sarah exercised her temperance convictions by closing the winery and uprooting all the winegrapes. This blend highlights the historical introduction of southern French and Spanish varieties to South Australia in those early pioneering days and reflects the history, religion and culture of the Barossa.