2021 Henschke, Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley, Australia

While its scale is breathtakingly impressive, there is thrilling elegance here, too.  This is a spectacular wine from start to finish, with every molecule in its place.  There is a complete directory of this vineyard’s flavours on display in this wine, seemingly cataloguing every nuance from the glorious, inaugural 1958 until the present day and delivering them in epic harmony.  It seems to embrace its ancient history and communicate it in a thoroughly modern language, and while you can taste it today and marvel at its greatness, I think I am only privy to around 80% of its potential.  Over the ensuing two decades, we might be able to add a per cent or two more insight into just how magnificent this wine is, culminating in a perfect 20/20 vision of a perfect 20/20 wine around 2045, whereupon it will hold for those with even more patience!  What a privilege.  2021 is a genuinely humbling wine, and it represents another chapter of wonder in the legend of this ancient land.

Good depth of lightly purple-rimmed colour; the bouquet is a riot of dried herb scents from thyme to sage and oregano with smoky black pepper, vegetable stock, red and darker fruits including raspberry, dark plum and blackberry. The wine is full-bodied and flows evenly across the tongue, with an effortless intensity and suppleness of texture. Fine tannins are an important part of the very long, high-impact aftertaste. A superb wine of intricate detail and elegance.