Producer Notes: Hill of Grace is surely one of the most evocative phrases in the world of wine. It is a translation from the German ‘Gnadenberg’, a region in Silesia, and the name given to the lovely Lutheran church that overlooks the vineyard. The 4ha single-vineyard shiraz planting is situated at the historic village of Parrot Hill 4km north-west of Henschke Cellars.
In our viticulture today we are blessed to be able to apply the practical wisdom and knowledge passed down from past generations alongside the benefits of our international learnings and research. In a dry-grown vineyard on its own roots, Prue has observed the benefits of mulching, composting and the use of permanent swards including native grasses, to build up the health of soils and preserve soil moisture.
Vintage Notes
The 2014 vintage began with the winery coming alive to the fragrant aromas of fermentation. But what a year we’ve had! This year, the moon cycles put Easter quite late in the season, so the expectation of a late harvest prevailed…until South Australia experienced its record number of heat days over 40C in January, culminating in the worst bushfire in Eden Valley in living memory. This taste of hell ended in the wettest February in 44 years – all in 48 hours, when we received between 115 and 150mm of rain. Fortunately, Eden Valley and the Adelaide Hills were still in veraison, which allowed the quenching rain to rebalance the fruit, particularly in the older dry-grown vineyards. The yields appeared depressingly minuscule, due to a severe black frost in spring and cold windy weather during flowering in early December. Early picks of semillon and shiraz after the heat wave were in response to vine stress.
Ageing
Matured in 85% French and 15% American (29% new, 71% seasoned) hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.
Closure Type: Vinolok
