2025 The Nurturer

Eden Valley

Counoise, Shiraz, Grenache, Grenache gris, Carignan, Clairette and Cinsault

Pale ruby with crimson hues. Lifted aromas of freshly cut plum, raspberry, boysenberry and black cherry, with notes of rhubarb, cranberry, violets, rosemary and star anise. The palate is generous with a rich core of red and black fruits interwoven with white pepper and sage, carried by vibrant acidity and fine, chalky tannins for a balanced finish. 

$40.00
$40.00
Pale ruby with crimson hues. Lifted aromas of freshly cut plum, raspberry, boysenberry and black cherry, with notes o...

SIGN IN FOR MEMBER'S PRICING

VIEW DETAILS
BACKGROUND

Named in honour of Prue Henschke, a highly regarded botanist, environmentalist and viticulturist, The Nurturer celebrates Prue’s dedication to regenerating our vineyards through organic composts, as well as native grasses and flowering plants, with the aim of optimising soil and vine health. Inspired by Prue’s recent plantings of site-suited varieties in the Henschke ‘Home Gardens’ Vineyard, The Nurturer is a sequential fermentation of carignan, counoise, grenache gris, grenache noir, clairette, cinsault and shiraz, with each variety added in harvest order.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Varieties: 33% counoise, 16% shiraz, 14% grenache, 13% grenache gris, 11% carignan, 8% clairette and 5% cinsault

Harvest Date: 21 March - 7 April

Alcohol: 13%

Vintage Rating: Excellent

Maturation: Matured in 16% new and 84% seasoned French oak puncheons for six months prior to blending and bottling.

Cellaring Potential: 10+ years cellaring from vintage

VINTAGE

The 2025 growing season began under continued dry conditions, with below-average winter rainfall failing to replenish soil moisture. Unseasonably warm late-winter weather prompted an early budburst, followed by a devastating frost event in mid-September that caused widespread damage across much of south-eastern Australia. Remarkably, vine recovery exceeded expectations, with fruitful secondary buds forming bunches on new shoots. Supplementary irrigation was required to maintain vine health throughout winter, spring, and summer. Although yields were expected to be low, they surpassed conservative estimates. Like spring, summer also arrived early, with a warming trend from mid-November laying the foundation for one of the hottest and driest seasons in living memory. Fortunately, early February saw only short bursts of heat. A return to high temperatures in early March accelerated ripening in red varieties, with three-quarters of vineyards picked in just three weeks. Harvest concluded in mid-April, the earliest on record. Healthy canopies allowed the Eden Valley shiraz and cabernet sauvignon to produce vibrant, expressive wines with great colour and tannin ripeness

TASTING NOTES

Named in honour of Prue Henschke, a highly regarded botanist, environmentalist and viticulturist, The Nurturer celebrates Prue’s dedication to regenerating our vineyards through organic composts, as well as native grasses and flowering plants, with the aim of optimising soil and vine health. Inspired by Prue’s recent plantings of site-suited varieties in the Henschke ‘Home Gardens’ Vineyard, The Nurturer is a sequential fermentation of carignan, counoise, grenache gris, grenache noir, clairette, cinsault and shiraz, with each variety added in harvest order.

Varieties: 33% counoise, 16% shiraz, 14% grenache, 13% grenache gris, 11% carignan, 8% clairette and 5% cinsault

Harvest Date: 21 March - 7 April

Alcohol: 13%

Vintage Rating: Excellent

Maturation: Matured in 16% new and 84% seasoned French oak puncheons for six months prior to blending and bottling.

Cellaring Potential: 10+ years cellaring from vintage

The 2025 growing season began under continued dry conditions, with below-average winter rainfall failing to replenish soil moisture. Unseasonably warm late-winter weather prompted an early budburst, followed by a devastating frost event in mid-September that caused widespread damage across much of south-eastern Australia. Remarkably, vine recovery exceeded expectations, with fruitful secondary buds forming bunches on new shoots. Supplementary irrigation was required to maintain vine health throughout winter, spring, and summer. Although yields were expected to be low, they surpassed conservative estimates. Like spring, summer also arrived early, with a warming trend from mid-November laying the foundation for one of the hottest and driest seasons in living memory. Fortunately, early February saw only short bursts of heat. A return to high temperatures in early March accelerated ripening in red varieties, with three-quarters of vineyards picked in just three weeks. Harvest concluded in mid-April, the earliest on record. Healthy canopies allowed the Eden Valley shiraz and cabernet sauvignon to produce vibrant, expressive wines with great colour and tannin ripeness

95 Points
"...a wine that vibrates with a juicy berry cocktail of flavours garnished with earthy, rocky, floral, leafy, peppery herb garden like highlights, an embodiment of the French term “garrigue”."

TONY LOVE, THE WINE PILOT

93 Points
"A potpourri of red plum, strawberry, dried roses and red liquorice. Soft sinuous and lacy with strawberry red plum, red cherry herb flavours, silky textures and underlying persistent red liquorice and star anise notes. A lovely pinotesque drinking style with suppleness and flow."

ANDREW CAILLARD MW, THE VINTAGE JOURNAL

93 Points
"Delightful leafy red fruit aromas are complemented by savoury, sage-like notes. The palate is finely balanced and precise, extending effortlessly through to a long finish. Wonderfully bright and energetic with real verve and vitality. Excellent wine."

RAY JORDAN, WINEPILOT.COM

93 Points
"...redcurrant and raspberry lead the perfume with violets...brown spice and ground nutmeg in the mix, and some bush garrigue-like herb notes... The palate has a slippery feel, with a core of similar red fruits sitting high in the mouth and spice and violet tones dancing around the edges. Very supple and elegant, with the finish delicate but adequately structured thanks to some chalky tannins and a wash of bright acidity."

TOM KLINE, WINEPILOT.COM