Appy Friday! Just for being on the App, how fine and rare do YOU like your wines?

Cause per Wine Enthusiast, “Few New World wineries can claim such long, unbroken winemaking lineage as Henschke.”

In the past, we’ve seen small allocations of Henschke come and go, including some $1,000+ bottles of Hill of Grace. This 96-pointer at $55 is an insane value for a single vineyard and the few cases we sourced will not last the day.

Henschke, since 1868, stands alongside Penfolds in Australia’s pantheon of top cult producers. The fifth generation now runs the show, continuing to innovate with styles and techniques to hit new highs, and this is a prime example of why their wines are so sought-after.

What a name for that vineyard! As it evokes, this 100% pure Cabernet Sauvignon is a monument to the king of grapes, yet delivering it with such artful poise and otherworldly grace that it makes a Cabernet-weary palate believe in the depth and finesse only this varietal can offer when made in such a balanced style. At a mere 13.5% alcohol, finishing the bottle is oh-so-easy, with none of the day-after fatigue and burden overripe Cabs often impose.

The name of the vineyard comes from Stephen Henschke’s great-uncle, Julius Henschke, being a famed sculptor of his time, who sourced marble from the quarry adjacent to this precious vineyard, planted on ancient red clay and limestone.

A word of caution, if you like your Barossa Cabs like most of the others, that is jammy and oaky, this one is not for you! But if you dig Bordeaux, the bygone ‘classics’ era of Napa Valley Cabernet, or cool climate gems from the Old World such as San Leonardo, you will fall in love with this as we did.

Sorry to compete for something finite, but we’re buying some. While it lasts.

96 Points – Winepilot “A sublimely presented Cabernet from a vineyard planted more than 50 years ago in Light Pass. Deep and powerful blackcurrant with dark chocolate and lifted perfumed African Violet notes on the nose. The palate shows a minerally thread that cuts through the dark rich fruit flavours. Grainy tannins and oak that is deliberately backed-off to let the fruit emerge. It has that distinctive cracked seashell minerally on the finish.”

95 Points – James Halliday “Edged with dried herb and forest floor varietal detail, the 2021 release, from a single vineyard of cabernet sauvignon in the parish of Light Pass, is a graceful expression from an excellent vintage. Pure blackberry, blackcurrant and black cherry fruit cut with clove, spice, cigar lounge, cedar, crème de cassis and blackcurrant leaf. Concentration with poise is the feeling this year, with assertive, supple tannins and plenty of mineral drive. One for the cellar.”