Henschke The Wheelwright Shiraz 2021

The Wheelwright, first released to commemorate 150 years of Henschke family winemaking, pays tribute to our founder, winemaker Johann Christian Henschke. He was among the first generation of the early German Silesian community of the Barossa in South Australia and established the family winery in 1868. Johann Christian arrived as a skilled stonemason and wheelwright and planted his first vineyards in the high country of the picturesque Eden Valley. This wine is produced from old vine shiraz planted in 1968, a century later, by fourth-generation Cyril Henschke near the village of Eden Valley at 470m altitude. As per the Barossa Old Vine Charter, an ‘old vine’ is equal to or greater than 35 years of age.

This wine has such an exciting nose, with a mix of red fruits but also redolent of black cherry pie. There is early complexity here and this seems not unlike drinking silk. Such projection, finesse and immaculate balance. … The sleekest of tannins here, this is a wine which lingers with intent. 97 PTS, Ken Gargett, Quill and Pad. 

The wine is very full in the mouth with impressive concentration and a voluminous core of fruit sweetness allied to abundant tannins of a velvety suppleness. Gorgeous shiraz. 96 PTS, Huon Hooke, The Real Review. 

100% organic/biodynamically farmed shiraz from the Wheelwright vineyard in the Eden Valley, planted by Cyril Henschke in the 1960s. Deep crimson with plush satsuma plum, black cherry and blackcurrant fruits underscored with hints of fine spice, sage, coal dust, cedar, violets, dark chocolate and crushed stone. I really like the flow of fruit in the Wheelwright this year; plush yet graceful with fine, compact tannins providing ample structure for cellaring. 95 PTS, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion.