TN: 1994 Henschke Keyneton Estate

I picked this one up in the mid to late 90s, along with some Cyril Henschke, and some Mt. Edelstone Shiraz. I opened a bottle early on and found it a bit disappointing, so I intentionally forgot about it for a quarter century until the othet day when I came across it and decided to have another go. It is a shiraz, cabernet, malbec blend.

The ripe overly sweet fruit that had spoiled the wine when young had thankfully passed off and it presented as a mature wine. Smoke and mint plus green tea and mature syrah, and most of the sweetness in the finish was abated. Now very pleasant.

This one presaged the "fruit by the bushel and damn any subtlety or complexity" that was the byword for many/most Aussie wineries in the first decade of this century where shock and awe was the target for getting big review points.

I wasn't sure if this one would come around, but happy that it did. I still have around 10 cases of Aussie wines pre 2000 and think it is time to start pulling corks!

[Jenise]

Yup, definitely time to start pulling corks!

Henschke was something I haven't had in years. IIRC, the last one I had, and I'm not entirely sure which bottling it was, was opened by your/our Bruce (RIP!) at the Hamilton St. Bar & Grill. I don't think it was a Hill of Grace, but maybe second best to that. Very concentrated and bursting with black currant flavors, and yet elegant. Such a fond memory that when not long ago I saw a Henscke Pinot Noir at Everything Wine, I bought it. Very disappointing. Very light with jammy, ripe flavors. Wouldn't guess that from a Henscke wine, would you?

Perhaps it was the Cyril Henschke which is/was one rung below Hill if Grace. Time I opened a 94 if I can just find a suitable occasion.

[Jenise]

Perhaps it was the Cyril Henschke which is/was one rung below Hill if Grace. Time I opened a 94 if I can just find a suitable occasion.

That sounds right, Bill, it was a Cyril. Not what I'd consider my preferred wine style, but it was delectable with palates properly prepared by all the excess that came before it.

Not sure I can sell a Down Under theme to the lunch group - I doubt that many will have cellared any Aussie wines from back when they were more structured. I have things like a 5 vintage vertical of Penfolds Bin 707 that would be nicer to taste all together.

[Jenise]

I have a few bottles of old Australians, but not many. I don't hate them at all, I just hate the Carnival of Love kind of stuff, and that's about all that's around. Serious Oz wines have disappeared from the marketplace--at least on the west coast.