2019 HILL OF GRACE – REVIEWS
“A lot is going on here…waves of opulent fruit and near-silent elegance. Prue explained that she has worked extremely hard to build up the organic matter in the vineyard, which allows the vines to cope with warmer vintages as the soils retain a much cooler atmosphere…These myriad details all conspire to enable Hill of Grace to flourish in a challenging vintage like 2019, which is why this wine is so complete.”
MATTHEW JUKES, MATTHEWJUKES.COM 19.5+/20
19.5/20 “Richly shaded, lustrous garnet. Rich, camphor nose with many layers. Real sweetness, with saltiness, on palate entry and waves of subsequent impact on the palate that has one of the longest finishes one might encounter.”
JANCIS ROBINSON, JANSCISROBINSON.COM 19.5/20
“The vivid colour, the perfume of the bouquet, the harmony of the red and black fruits, and the reassurance of precisely tailored tannins all add to the triumph of Prue Henschke in the vineyard, and Stephen Henschke in the winery. The synergy between these parts is such that there’s no hint of a difficult – indeed, very difficult – vintage.”
JAMES HALLIDAY, THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN – 99 POINTS
“It’s seamless with perfectly poised blackberry and dark berry fruits, five-spice, sage, softly spoken oak and the gentle tug of superfine, toothsome tannins. Lacy, mineral-laden acidity propels the wine forward and the finish is long, elegant and in perfect pitch. Grace by name, grace by nature.”
DAVE BROOKES, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION – 99 POINTS
“Brooding blackberry and blueberry, with pronounced black tea notes, set the statuesque tone. In the mouth a dense tannin fretwork contains the muscular wall of dark fruit. Over four days, subtle flavours and textures of plum sauce and pomegranate syrup, orange blossom and rosewater (bergamot?) emerge, while the spiciness amplifies, with pungent liquorice, sandalwood, allspice and meaty cracked black pepper. Impressive grip, freshness and precision.”
SARAH AHMED, DECANTER – 97 POINTS
“On the palate, the wine is super fragrant, elegant and fine, with bone broth and rose petals, peppercorns, crushed herbs, black cherry, raspberry pip, black tea and graphite. This is an eloquent wine, and it speaks of the evocatively beautiful place that is the Eden Valley. The tannins hold the fruit in a gentle way in the mouth. It is fine, such a fine expression—I must say, it’s not at all what I expected of the 2019 vintage. It’s a triumph of a wine. Super.”
ERIN LARKIN, THE WINE ADVOCATE – 97 POINTS