Henschke Henry's Seven' Shiraz Mataro Grenache Blend Barossa 2024

94 POINTS - Tony Love, Wine Pilot
"A classic Rhone-style blend painted in Barossa colours: 53% Barossa Valley and 47% Eden Valley fruit with Shiraz leading the way (76%) plus 1% co-fermented Viognier, followed by Grenache (16%), Mataro (7%). Garnet in the glass, fragrant with blueish petals, violet to the fore, as well as crushed, fresh kitchen herbs and a distant note of freshly sawn timber; there’s only 10 months of 10% new French oak in the maturation which is plenty for this wine. Styled in the crunchy, juicy, red berry flavour spectrum, crimson plums between tart and softly ripe leading the fruit, bay and sage adding their herbal edge, the palate still has decent grip in the finish to suggest its capacity for excellent matching with anything juicy and red from the barbecue. "

Appearance
Deep crimson with violet hues.

Aroma
Lifted aromas of blueberry, blackberry, mulberry and satsuma plum, with nuances of lavender, rose petal, violets, pepper and brown baking spice.

Palate
A complex palate of blue and red fruits with hints of anise and white pepper, supported by bright acidity, fine tannins and excellent length.

Vintage Notes
By late winter the soil profiles had been refilled with well above average rainfall, which continued throughout spring. The wet conditions encouraged the spread of fungal disease, such as downy mildew. Shoot thinning during the growing season to open up the canopy helped to overcome disease pressure. A dry and cool December, which continued throughout summer, impacted late flowering and fruit set. Light rain events in autumn resulted in a slower ripening period in the lead up to harvest, which provided great flavour development and acid retention. Despite the challenges of the season, yields were above average with larger berry size compensating for the poor set. The 2023 vintage will be remembered for excellent quality wines with fruit purity, good structure, mature tannins and great length.