Details
The 2010 growing season was preceded by above average winter rainfall that built up moisture in the soil profile and provided water for the dams. Spring was mild with little frost damage and gave us an even budburst. The weather remained cold and wet through spring which held back growth until a two-week high 30s heat wave in November affected flowering and fruit set. Spring rains continued into early summer right through until mid-December, making it the wettest year since 2005. The vines responded to the heat and grew vigorously until early January, developing lush canopies, but bunch development suffered as a result.
A roller-coaster-ride of heat spikes and cool changes continued through a warm summer with occasional thunderstorms. The vines continued to look very healthy and went through verasion a week earlier than in 2009. Lower yields coupled with the mild ripening period resulted in incredibly concentrated fruit. Vintage began a week earlier than last year, on February 8, and was in full swing by mid-February. The white vintage was all but finished a month later, with no signs of sunburn or drought-affected berries. The red harvest continued with deeply coloured, well-balanced grapes being picked during superb mild, dry conditions through to the third week of April. The signature varieties of Eden Valley, riesling and shiraz, once again produced exceptional quality with great acid balance.
In the Bottle
| Vintage | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Grape Variety | 100% gewürztraminer grown in Eden Valley. |
| Technical Details | Harvest Date: 18th February Alcohol: 12.5% | pH: 3.18 | Acidity: 6.83 g/L | |
| Maturation | Fermented in tank and bottled post-vintage (no oak or tank maturation) to preserve the wine’s fruit characters. |
| Background | The traminer grape originated in the Tramin area of the north-east of Italy. This variety has been grown for centuries in French Alsace and Germany. The German prefix gewürz, meaning spicy, is used when the wine exhibits an aromatic spicy character. The altitude, cool climate and deep loam soils of Eden Valley provide excellent conditions for this variety. The gewürztraminer vineyard is planted on well-drained deep sandy loam and silt and is named after Joseph Hill Thyer who pioneered the first vines on this property in the early 1900s. |
| Cellaring Potential | Exceptional vintage, 20+ years |
Vintage 2009. 20 February 2010, Tony Love, Adelaide Advertiser
The name of this wine breaks in two: "gewurz", referring to a spicy character that the traminer grape exhibits, so relate this to the fish cake with a pile of aromatic ingredients like coriander, basil and ginger and you find a bright and shiny mirror at the table, fragrant, a little lime fruit flavour and tartness, as well as a waft of rose perfume and yep, a touch of ginger spice. No, it's not a pop hit in disguise but an appealing exotic star.
Fast fact: Named after Joseph Hill Thyer who grew the first vines on this Eden Valley property.
Vintage 2009. 17 October 2009, Ken Gargett, Courier Mail, Brisbane
Also from Eden Valley, this is gently perfumed with hints of Turkish delight and florals. Broadens across the palate. Drink young. 89/100
Vintage 2007. 3 February 2008, Sally Gudgeon, Sunday Age
Gewürztraminer can shout its identiy out of the glass but this Eden Valley example is more restrained. It's floral rather than spicy, with vibrant fruit and fresh acidity. Try it with honey soy chicken.
Vintage 2007. 1 February 2008, Nick Stock, Adelaide Review
Going back a few years to the days when Australian gewürztraminer was even more of a rarity than it is now, this Henschke bottling was always one of the most reliable. Australian gewürz often struggles to deliver the phenolic and flavour ripeness whilst retaining even a semblance of balance, but not so here. Where others fail, Henschke excels, making their spicy, fragrant version one of the local stalwarts of this charismatic and elusive variety. High up in Eden Valley, they capture the perfumed musk, rose water and lychee that make this variety so ethereal and unique. Crisp apple and citrus fruit flavours, it's custom made for Thai cuisine.
Vintage 2005. August 2007, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
A bright, clean bouquet with faint spice and rose petal aromas; a tight, reserved palate. Rating 90/100.