The Shape of a Legacy: Exploring the Power of Place in the Signature Wines of Henschke

Gnadenberg Lutheran Church and Hill of Grace Vineyard

Viticulture and Winemaking: Precision with Restraint

Under the stewardship of Stephen Henschke, fifth‑generation winemaker, and Prue Henschke, viticulturist, botanist, and conservationist, the estate has refined a winemaking approach that balances tradition with innovation. Their philosophy is grounded in:

• Organic and biodynamic practices, adopted after decades of trials and now applied across the estate’s vineyards.
• Minimal‑intervention winemaking, allowing vineyard character to dominate.
• Meticulous vineyard management, including permanent native swards, straw mulching, under‑vine ploughing, and the use of organic sprays such as Bacillus thuringiensis, bicarbonate, and canola oil for disease control.
• Thoughtful canopy systems, such as the shift to Scott Henry trellising at Mount Edelstone to manage vigour and optimise sun exposure.

In the cellar, the approach remains classically restrained: careful hand selection, small‑batch ferments, gentle extraction, and maturation in a mix of French and American oak tailored to each site. The goal is purity, longevity, and the articulation of terroir—an ethos that has shaped the estate’s most celebrated wines since the first vintage of Hill of Grace in 1958.

Sustainability and Regenerative Viticulture

If Henschke’s historical legacy is impressive, its environmental leadership is equally so. Prue Henschke has become one of Australia’s most influential voices in regenerative viticulture, drawing on her background in botany and zoology to rebuild biodiversity across the estate.

Key initiatives include:

• Restoring native ecosystems: 150 hectares of bushland are under conservation, with 18,000 native trees planted on one property alone.
• Reintroducing native grasses, such as Wallaby grass, between vine rows to reduce mowing, suppress weeds, and preserve soil moisture.
• Creating habitat for beneficial insects, using native Christmas bush, iron‑grass, and diverse plantings across previously bare vineyard spaces.
• Organic composting, using grape marc, cow manure, eggshells, and biodynamic preparations to enrich soil health.
• Water recycling, with winery effluent treated and reused in the Keyneton vineyards.

The result is a vineyard environment that is more resilient, biologically rich, and aligned with long‑term sustainability than the monoculture landscapes typical of earlier Australian viticulture.

Reputation and Global Standing

Henschke’s reputation today rests on a combination of heritage, consistency, and the singularity of its top sites. Hill of Grace is widely regarded as one of Australia’s greatest wines—often mentioned alongside Penfolds Grange but celebrated for its contrasting philosophy: a single vineyard rather than a multi‑regional blend, a wine of place rather than power. Mount Edelstone and the Keyneton Euphonium blend further reinforce the estate’s breadth and depth.

Critics consistently highlight the precision, purity, and longevity of Henschke wines, and the estate’s commitment to sustainable viticulture has strengthened its standing among environmentally conscious producers worldwide.

Current Leadership and the Future

The author with Johann Henschke

The Henschke estate is now guided by a seamless partnership between the fifth and sixth generations, ensuring continuity of philosophy while embracing a new era of technical and environmental leadership. Stephen and Prue Henschke remain the custodians of the family legacy, with Stephen’s decades of winemaking experience and Prue’s pioneering work in regenerative viticulture continuing to shape the estate’s identity.

Increasingly, however, the sixth generation is stepping into operational and creative leadership. Johann Henschke, the eldest child of Stephen and Prue, is now recognised as sixth‑generation winemaker and viticulturist. With formal training in viticulture and oenology at the University of Adelaide, a Master of Viticulture from Geisenheim, and hands‑on experience at estates such as Leeuwin Estate, Felton Road, Isole e Olena, and Arietta, he brings a global perspective to the family’s deeply rooted traditions. His role has expanded significantly in recent years, and he now represents the family internationally while contributing to viticultural and winemaking decisions across the estate.

Johann’s growing influence was underscored in 2024 when he accepted the Golden Vines “Best Fine Wine Producer in the Rest of the World” award on behalf of Henschke in Madrid—a symbolic moment marking the generational transition already underway. His technical grounding, international experience, and commitment to the family’s regenerative ethos position him as a natural successor to Stephen and Prue’s custodianship.

Together, the fifth and sixth generations are steering Henschke into its next chapter: one defined by heritage vineyards, scientific precision, environmental stewardship, and a renewed emphasis on global engagement. The estate’s leadership remains firmly family‑held, but its vision is increasingly shaped by the collaborative energy between generations.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend a Henschke Masterclass at the recent Decanter Fine Wines Encounter held in Singapore on November 22^nd. The Masterclass was presented by Johann Henschke and Decanter Content Director Tina Gellie and we tasted eight wines including a mini-vertical of the Edelstone and Hill of Grace flagships. What follows are my own tasting notes from this exciting lineup.

Cyril Henschke Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot, matured 18 months in French oak. The wine is ruby purple in the glass with distinct aromas of cassis and plum, violets, sage, mint and bay leaf. On the palate, plush ripe savoury-edged dark fruits are infused with mocha chocolate, the structure perfectly poised with fine powdery tannins, plush fruit and balanced acidity, the finish is long and lingering with a spicy edge. A stunning introduction!

The Wheelwright Eden Valley Shiraz 2021

Aged 10 months in a mix of 82% French and 18% American oak hogsheads, 10% new. Inky magenta purple in the glass with aromas of violets and pot-pourri, spicy incense and smoke over black and blue berries. On the palate the plush ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit are infused with baking spices and dried herbs, along with the characteristic peppery edge, there’s a slight meaty iron edge too, but despite the palate richness the mouthfeel is surprisingly light and elegant with very fine soft tannins and bright acidity perfectly balanced, the layered finish lingers with that mellow baking spices.

Mount Edelstone Eden Valley Shiraz 2021

Aged 10 months in a mix of 80% French and 20% American oak hogsheads, 9% new. Deep ruby edging purple in the glass with intense aromas of violets and pot-pourri preceding blackberry, blueberry and dark cherry fruit and pungent dried herbs, ground pepper and baking spices of cardamon and cloves. On the palate the soft entry reveals a complex fruit melange of both dark and berries with a sweet and sour tamarind edge and then those warm baking spices and dried herbs, the soft plush tannins beautifully balanced with a fine acidity, and the finish lingers with five-spice infused fruit, the spice having the last word.  

Mount Edelstone Eden Valley Shiraz 2015

Deep ruby in the glass with earthier aromas than the ‘21, of forest floor and spicy incense, dark berry compote, clove and mocha with dried herbs. The entry is rich and lush with blackberry and Doris plum fruit flavours giving way to that now familiar spice foundation with cloves, ground pepper, some curry leaf and the musky umami of Moroccan lamb. Again the finish is long and lingering with savoury, musky spices, it begs for a spiced meat dish to accompany.  

Mount Edelstone Eden Valley Shiraz 2005

Ruby with a garnet edge in the glass with aromas of dried rose pot-pourri, cherry liquer, raspberry jam, baking spice and a hint of coconut, along with smoky bacon and cracked pepper. The entry is soft and silky with savoury-edged flavours of cherry, raspberry,  plum compote and aniseed, with brown spice and forest floor notes and a wet stone minerality running throughout. The fruit is very sweet yet perfectly melds with the savoury elements and the long finish ends with lingering forest floor and wet stone elements. Probably peaking now but no hint of tapering off yet.

The Henschke lineup

Hill of Grace Eden Valley Shiraz 2021

Purple magenta in the glass and you are struck immediately by the distinct florality of the first aromatic burst, violets, roses, dried flowers and a hint of lavender leap from the glass, underpinned by fresh blackberry, blueberry and Doris plum fruit and a black pepper edge. The aromatic spice profile is markedly distinct from the Edelstone, less cardamon and curry leaf, more Christmas cake sweet cinnamon and clove. On the palate blackberry, plum and cassis fruits predominate over the more gentle spices edged with some fresh black pepper a little bay leaf, dense, plush and concentrated yet not heavy, the tannins very fine-grained are balanced with a bright acid line. On the long finish, the plush dark fruits have a cocoa edge that then gives way to a slightly ferruginous cola nut end.

Hill of Grace Eden Valley Shiraz 2015

Dark ruby-purple in the glass with distinct sweet dark fruit aromas predominant on the initial whiff, along with dried rose dominated pot-pourri and a hint of violets, succeeded by some smoky meat, forest floor and sweet spice. The palate is lush, soft and mouth filling, with sweet dark berry, Doris plum and cassis fruit flavours, laced with milk chocolate, liquorice and sous-bois. The persistent finish is beautifully harmonious with the melange of flavours integrated throughout by perfectly balanced soft acidity and superfine silky tannins. This was my personal favourite wine of the lineup, the palate has a concentration of flavour that fills the mouth yet remains so effortless and seamless. Drinking beautifully now but clearly with decades to go.  

Hill of Grace Eden Valley Shiraz 2005

Still ruby-purple in the glass with no hint yet of bricking. Pot-pourri aromas give way to sweet red and black fruit compote, subtle spice and some coconut oak, sous-bois and cigar box. The palate is plush round and sweet, with dark fruit, subtle spice, and cedar flavours supported by tertiary savoury forest floor and cigar box with that slightly lactone oak flavour just a little overt for my taste. The tannins are super silky and light, the soft acidity perfectly balanced, and the finish is long with well integrated preserved fruit flavours surrendering to a final note of sous-bois.  

Final thoughts.

A stunning representation of the best of Henschke, perhaps the best of South Australia. I found the difference between the Edelstone and Hill of Grace strongly marked by two elements: first the more pungent, curry leafed spice aromas and flavours of the Edelstone compared with the black pepper and clove of the Hill of Grace; secondly the slightly sweeter and darker fruit profile of the Hill of Grace, particularly the blackcurrant liqueur note.

While the oak regime was more or less consistent through the years with around 80% French and 20% American oak, I did find a coconut lactone edge on the 2005 vintage of both Edelstone and Hill of Grace that might have led me to believe the American component was higher, perhaps different origins for the French barrels at some point since then?