Henschke Heaven - Part 1

I love a good wine dinner – great company, great food and great wine -it is one of the joys in life.

When notification of a Henschke dinner landed in my inbox, I just closed my eyes to the cost and booked on the spot.  I was joined by a wine-loving friend who, when working out what date she should come to Sydney, moved forward her travels plans by a day so that she could come along.  To be blunt, we had a wonderful evening wine-geeking and were joined in this with our half of a very long table.

Henschke Peggy’s Hill Riesling 2026

This was the first wine of the dinner and redolent of white florals.  My first impression when tasting it was Roman Chamomile.  Further sips brought to the fore notes of lemon, chervil, red sorrel, slightly unripe nectarine and white peach skin.  It had a slight tannic grip – complementing the peach skin - and the wine was surprisingly round in the mouth. Beautifully balanced with a long lemon finish.  A nice light quaffer.

It paired beautifully with a celeriac tart, and would also go well with prawns, shellfish and corn.

Rating: Delish        Price: AUD 29 (a bargain!)

Henschke Johann’s Garden 2024

This was the wine that I was most interested in tasting as I am a lover of Grenache.  I adored the Johann’s Garden 2006 – a Grenache Shiraz blend - stunning drinking after 20 years with still some fruit brightness but unfortunately have no more bottles left – but way less enchanted by the Johann’s Garden 2012 –Mataro replaced the Shiraz component and has not aged nearly as well as the 2006.

The 2024 had 60% Grenache and 40% Mataro but the Mataro definitely dominated this wine.  Aromas of black plum, granite, tar, tomato stalk and bay leaf.  It was quite tannic on the first sip with the red fruit just peeking through, although the red fruit flavours strengthened as the wine lingered in my mouth.  The tannins continued to be the main event and it was interesting to taste the different tannic elements coming through at different times.  They started off velvety and then it was like a fist clenching and they become woody and quite chewy.

This wine matched beautifully with beetroot done in balsamic vinegar as it brought out the red fruit elements.  It was not quite as successful with bluefin tuna served on the night.  It would also pair well with charred lamb or a red meat pizza.  A very good upmarket pizza wine.

This was a good wine but as I am not a Mataro fan, it was not my favourite wine of the night.

Rating: Delish       Price: AUD 65