Details
In the Bottle
| Vintage | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Grape Variety | 100% pinot gris grown by David and Annette Innes at Littlehampton in the Adelaide Hills. |
| Technical Details | Harvest Date: 4-6 March Alcohol: 13.5% | pH: 3.17 | Acidity: 5.3 g/L | |
| Maturation | Fermented in tank and held on lees for 6 months with regular stirring to build complexity. |
| Background | The Adelaide Hills has an altitude ranging from 400-600m and a rainfall of around 700-1000mm. Soils consist of sandy loam overlying weathered shale and clay, which provide excellent conditions for viticulture. Littlehampton lies on the eastern side of the Adelaide Hills and has a unique aspect for superlative pinot gris. Viticulture was first established in the Adelaide Hills in 1839 by John Barton Hack near Mount Barker, just 5km from Littlehampton. Pinot gris, called tokay d’Alsace in France, grauburgunder in Germany and pinot grigio in Italy, has its origins in France. It has become a highly regarded variety around the world. |
| Cellaring Potential | Exceptional vintage, 10+ years. |
Vintage 2010. February 2012, Mike Bennie, Wine Business Magazine
Not a classic wine for the generational winemakers at Henschke, but certainly a feather in the cap of their folio. With white nashi pear, spice and layered texture, this white has complexity, nutty nuances and great appeal. 92/100.
Vintage 2006. September 2006, Tony Love, Adelaide Advertiser
Fresh from Henschke's Littlehampton site in the Adelaide Hills, there are little squeaks of telltale bronze tones around the edges, then pears and almonds before a scoop of lychees and a mouth full of bright acids and herbal aromatics lolling around within its typical viscosity. Desperately seeking good Thai food.
Vintage 2005. August 2007, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
Classic spice, pear and a hint of musk; good balance and length, the alcohol no problem. Rating 89/100.
Vintage 2005. December 2005, Winsor Dobbin, PMD Wines
You'll find lychee characters here, rose petals and stone fruit and all the variety's trademark vidcosity. This is a wine made in a very lifted style - if you love a pinot gris you'll love this.
Vintage 2004. June 2006, Sally Gudgeon, Sydney Morning Herald
This delectable drop will send you into sensory overload with its rich, slippery texture, array of flavours and delicate aromas of spice and fresh hay.
Vintage 2004. November 2005, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
...an exuberant, dry, fruit-driven white revealing scents of apricots and white currants along with a mineral-like characteristic.
Vintage 2003. June 2004, Huon Hooke, Sydney Morning Herald
An Adelaide Hills wine very much in the opulent Alsace style. It's a worthy follow-up to the crackerjack '02 - ripe stone fruit and nutty aromas, intense flavours that are soft and seamless an the palate. Smooth texture and lovely balance.
Vintage 2002. February 2004, The Age, Uncorked
This is simply the best Aussie Pinto Gris we've tasted. From a stand-out vintage in the Adelaide Hills, it’s as aromatic and opulent as a good Alsatian; richly spicy, honeyed and stone-fruity; but fine, seamless and silky across the tongue.