2010 Henschke 'Hill of Grace' Shiraz (Museum)

James Suckling Top 100 Wines of the World 2015
Halliday Wine Companion Best Shiraz of the Year 2017
James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2015

"The Eden Valley equivalent of Burgundy's Le Chambertin,  a bottomless well of flavour, elegant yet profoundly powerful."  James Suckling

Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz is Australia's most famous single vineyard wine, sourced from the historic Hill of Grace Vineyard. This beautiful site was first planted in 1860 with pre-phylloxera shiraz vines brought from Europe. The oldest vines provide the magical ingredients in Hill of Grace. They deliver berries of incomparable texture and complexity, which gives the wine its trademark elegance, intensity and finesse. The first vintage of Hill Of Grace was produced by Cyril Henschke in 1958, which means the vineyard was almost 100 years old when the first wine was released! 

 20+/20 points - Matthew Jukes (Tasted April 2023)
"There are green hints here, and it seems tense and acid-soaked under the powerful, youthful fruit. It has hardly budged an inch in six years since I first tasted it, and the fruit concentration is remarkable, with just the merest hint of silkiness. Coating this fruit is a lot of oak, seemingly much more than found on other vintages. The extraction seems powerful, too, making this a backward wine. While all of the wines from 2002 onwards are sealed under screwcap, this is the most reluctant and introverted. I am convinced that in the fullness of time, the 2010 will be regarded as a genuinely great Hill of Grace, and I hope to go back to it over and over again. Drink: 2030-2050."  

100 points - Peter Moser, Falstaff 
"Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, faint brightening on the rim. A hint of undergrowth, dark berry fruit, sweet savoury nuances, hints of sweet cherry, tobacco note, a touch of mint oil. Juicy, tight-knit, ripe plum, tightly structured, ripe tannins, pleasant fruit expression, enchanting freshness and length, sweet cherry confit and orange on the finish, still very youthful, huge potential." 

James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 99 points and Best Shiraz of the Year 2017 and Top 100 Wines of 2015
"From a very good vintage, the colour shows no sign of age, the bouquet and palate reminiscent of a Beethoven symphony, throbbing with power, its black fruits in a web of fine, ripe tannins, building inexorably to the last movement, constantly revisiting and rephr asing all that has gone before. Screwcap. 14.5% alc. Drink Now - 2050."  

Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 99 points
"Deep, dark red colour with a marked purple tint. The bouquet is very powerful and loaded with mint, tamarillo, eucalyptus and both red and dark berry aromas. An explosive wine in the mouth, the palate tremendously intense and concentrated, powerful and penetrating, with seemingly endless length. Very alive and infused with refreshing and balanced acidity, this extraordinary wine tastes as though it could live forever. Certainly one of the best Hill of Grace releases. Only time will reveal if it is the best ever. (65% new oak, 95% of it French). Drink: 2015-2050." 

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker Wine Advocate – 99 points
"Medium garnet in color, the 2010 Shiraz Hill of Grace reveals a slightly reticent yet beguiling nose of kirsch, dried mulberries and plum preserves with nuances of star anise, potpourri, cloves, dusty earth and menthol. Medium to full-bodied with youthfully taut, mouth-filling perfumed berry preserves and exotic spice flavors, the fruit is well framed by rounded, polished tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with incredible length. It could still benefit from 2-4 years in bottle before entering its drinking window but is already stunning. Drink it from 2017 to 2035." 

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com - 99 points
"The 2010 vintage will be remembered as one of the most perfect renditions of this single site planted to vines dating back to 1860. The signature spice and sage leaf are here. It's bursting with an array of dark brown spice aromas and pepper. The fruits run from raspberry to deep blackberry, cassis and blueberry fruits. Blue plums too. The palate is immensely smooth and soft. It floats with richness yet lightness. The balance is superb and the finish runs so long and deep. It goes on seemingly endlessly, saturated in old vine Shiraz flavour yet perfectly poised. This is the Eden Valley equivalent of Burgundy's Le Chambertin, a bottomless well of flavour, elegant yet profoundly powerful and the finest release yet in a superb run of recent vintages."