Details
In the Bottle
| Vintage | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Grape Variety | 100% riesling grown on Stephen and Prue Henschke’s Lenswood vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. |
| Technical Details | Harvest Date: 15 March | Alcohol: 12.5% | pH: 3.09 | Acidity: 7.3g/L |
| Maturation | Fermented in tank and bottled post-vintage (no oak or tank maturation) to preserve the wine’s aromatic fruit characters. |
| Background | Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke and his wife Prue purchased the property in the Adelaide Hills in 1981. At 550m, the Lenswood vineyards offer not only magnificent views over the traditional vine country but also higher rainfall and humidity at the right time of the year, cooler temperatures to retain high natural acidity, and still enough sunshine to fully ripen the grapes. The riesling vineyard is planted on a perfect west facing slope on loam soil containing shale fragments. It was so named as it overlooks the apple orchards operated by the Green family since 1893. |
| Cellaring Potential | Exceptional vintage, 20+ years. |
Vintage 2012. December 2012, Mike Bennie, www.winefront.com.au
Restrained citrus and apple aromas, touch of pot pourri, hint of lemongrass. Zesty and fresh across the palate with some gentle phenolic tug and a touch of slate in acidity – it drags citrus/apple flavours long, pure and gently across the palate. Subdued, but good to drink, refreshing the palate as it goes and leaving a rolling, mouthwatering tang through the lingering finish. Love that sour pucker. Drink in youth I reckon. Enlivening.
Vintage 2009. October 2010, Martin Field, E-vine
2009 Green’s Hill Riesling, pale, with a steely citrus bouquet and a full-on palate with notes of lime and lemon marmalade.
Vintage 2009. March 2010, Nick Stock, The Adelaide Review
A lot of people drink more whites from Henschke despite their greater fame for reds, perhaps knowing the same vineyard and winemaking care goes into these wines, which are frankly bargains.
This is from a mature Lenswood vineyard and it catches attention immediately with green highlights in amongst the bright pale yellow - usually a reliable sign of both concentration and a long life ahead. The current characters of citrus - to me a little more of grapefruit than lemon or lime - and a very fine dry, almost to chalky, flavour profile is suggestive of a "winemaker's wine".
Vintage 2008. 11-12 July 2009, James Halliday, The Weekend Australian
For inexplicable reasons, this wine stands in the shadow of the Julius Eden Valley Riesling, when it should stand alongside. It is clean and crisp, with a strong structural underlay courtesy of minerally-flinty notes alongside zesty, citrusy acidity; it has very good length and a long life ahead. Rating 95/100
Vintage 2007. January 2008, Nick Stock, WBM Magazine
Sourced from the cool elevated Lenswood area of the Adelaide Hills, this has a fine precise nose, sweet lime blossom, mixed citrus and florals. Leaves traces of crisp apply flavour in the mouth and fine direct acidity.
Vintage 2005. August 2007, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
Bright green-yellow; spotlessly clean, powerful and somewhat introspective on the bouquet; citrus, passionfruit and mineral all power-up on the finish. Rating 94/100.
Vintage 2004. August 2007, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
Very rich, opulent, lime juice aromas; backs off slightly on the palate, no bad thing; still flooded with flavour and immediate appeal. Rating 94/100.