Henschke Keyneton Euphonium Barossa Valley Blend 2018  £42.15

Henschke Keyneton Euphonium Barossa Valley Blend​

The Henschke family have been making wine at their estate in the Eden Valley since 1868. Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke took over running the winery in 1979. Together with his viticulturist wife Prue, they have taken their two single vineyards, Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone, and transformed them into two of Australia’s most sought-after wines. Through a combination of great viticulture from Prue, who is at the forefront of reintroducing native plants into their vineyards to improve biodiversity, and winemaking from Stephen, they have built upon their inheritance and turned this traditional producer into one that is recognised by savvy wine drinkers throughout the world.

Keyneton Euphonium is a beautiful composition of Shiraz from up to 50-year-old vines growing in the Eden and Barossa Valleys, blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from selected vineyards in both regions, some of which were planted by Cyril Henschke at his Eden Valley property in the 1960s. The Barossa hills village of Keyneton, pioneered by pastoralist Joseph Keynes in 1842, was a musical and cultural focus for the early settlers and was home to the Henschke Family Brass Band, founded in 1888. It featured wind instruments such as a B flat euphonium, a large brass wind instrument, which has been lovingly restored and remains in the Henschke family.

In the Eden Valley, a wet 2016 winter provided a good foundation for Henschke’s dry-farmed old vines. A cool, wet, and windy spring followed, with a slightly higher rainfall than in the Barossa Valley, which delayed flowering. The summer months were mild with frequent rainfall, allowing the grapes to reach full physiological maturity. A mild period of ripening finished with the harvest starting in mid to late April, a month later than the 2016 vintage. The last grapes were picked in mid-May. This cool but exceptional vintage has produced wines with precision and character.

All grapes were hand harvested in the cool of the morning. Each parcel was picked and vinified separately. Once in the winery, the grapes were destemmed and lightly crushed, into a combination of small, concrete or stainless steel open-top fermenters. Pump-overs were performed twice daily, allowing the liquid to be cooled via a heat-exchanger, with air being introduced on the return to the fermenter. After 7-10 days and just prior to reaching dryness, the ferments were gently pressed to barrel with the primary fermentation finishing in 85% French and 15% American oak (19% new and 85% seasoned) hogshead barrels. The wine matured for 18 months before assemblage and bottling, with the wine remaining in bottle for two years before release.

Deep garnet with pale garnet hues. Lifted aromas of red plum, mulberry, blackcurrant and black pepper, with supporting notes of thyme, bay leaf, charcuterie and cedary oak. A concentrated and powerful palate of mouth-watering ripe plum, blackberry and black and redcurrant, balanced by savoury white pepper, anise and tarragon, fresh and buoyant acidity and an exceptionally long, fine tannin finish.

92 Points RobertParker.com

The 2018 Keyneton Euphonium is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and carries a profusion of dusty black tannin and brooding purple fruit. There are notes of meat broth, field mushrooms, fresh leather, blackberry, brown sugar and a molasses character. I know from some of the other Henschke reds that the fruit actually rises above the structure with a decant (or time in the glass), so this is recommended in order to catch the beautiful 2018 fruit on offer here. This is a savory wine—layered and long.

Erin Larkin