Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz 2016

The Barossa has a core of traditional growers of Lutheran descent dating back five generations, staunchly continuing the traditions of their forebears. Occasionally, one or two parcels of fruit of overwhelming quality come over the weighbridge; this is such an example. Up to 70 year old, low-yielding vines are growing in low-fertility Neoproterozoic soils more than 542 million years old, ranging from terra rossa to red-brown earths.

"From vines up to 70yo in the Eden and Barossa Valleys, matured in French hogsheads (19% new) for 18 months. This has quite extraordinary depth to its dense crimson-purple hue, a clue to the palate of the wine, which first hit the headlines in '10, and has continued to do so every year since. It is awash with black fruits of every description, tannins and oak folded within the voluminous fruits. The magic of the wine is that it is neither heavy or extractive, just very, very long. James Halliday" 97 Points