2007 Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz

90 Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

“Soft, juicy, fruit-driven wine. Sweet, loose flavours of blackcurrant and plums with highlights of mint and tar. Minor signs of toasty oak. Ripe, intense and easy to drink/like, but loose-knit and not especially long. Henschke Tasting Notes Deep ruby with crimson hues. Dark, brooding aromas of blackberry, blueberry and boysenberry are woven through dark chocolate, tobacco, sandalwood, mint and earthy spice. A rich and savoury palate of baked plum, dark cherry and black olive, with nuances of leather and cedar, reveals balanced acidity and silky tannins, delivering a long, refined finish. Background InformationThe Barossa has a core of grape growers of German Silesian descent dating back six generations, staunchly continuing the traditions of their forebears. Up to 70-year-old, low-yielding shiraz is selected from historical grower vineyards at Tappa Pass and Light Pass, growing in low-fertility soils that range from terra rossa to red-brown earths, derived from Neoproterozoic bedrock more than 542 million years old. These vineyards provide exceptional quality shiraz fruit from both the Eden Valley and Barossa Valley regions of the Barossa, vinified in traditional open-top fermenters.”