Region: South Australia
Sub Region: Eden Valley
Varieties: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot
Country: Australia
Vintage: 2012
Style: Medium to full-bodied, cellar-aged red
The Wine
Cyril Henschke celebrates the contribution of Stephen Henschke’s father, a pioneering figure in Australian varietal and single-vineyard wine. Its fruit comes from the family’s Eden Valley vineyard, where Cyril planted Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1960s. At around 500 metres elevation, the site provides the conditions for a particularly fragrant, finely structured expression of the variety.
The 2012 combines 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 7% Merlot, grown under the family’s organic and biodynamic practices. The components were vinified separately and matured for 18 months in French oak hogsheads, 38% new, before blending and bottling.
Henschke rated 2012 an exceptional vintage. A relatively mild summer and extended ripening period delivered intense flavour, fresh acidity and mature tannins, with Cabernet a particular highlight of the season.
Cassis, redcurrant and blackberry are lifted by violets, leafy fragrance and dried herbs. Cedar, anise and savoury complexity add depth, while fine tannins carry the fruit through a long finish. Bottle age brings an increasingly autumnal dimension to a wine whose distinction rests on its combination of flavour, elegance and persistence.
Cellared Says
I’d recommend this to anyone who loves Australian Cabernet and wants to explore the character Eden Valley can bring to it. The fragrance, freshness and fine texture make Cyril a particularly compelling wine to follow with age.
The 2012 has the pedigree of both a distinguished vineyard and an exceptional season. I’d be delighted to open a well-stored bottle now, with the confidence to keep others into the 2030s. This is a wine I’d make time for.
Reviews
“…very elegant, supple and beautifully balanced…”
97 Points — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
“It has a purity and elegance that puts it in a class of its own.”
97 Points — James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
Region: South Australia
Sub Region: Eden Valley
Varieties: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot
Country: Australia
Vintage: 2012
Style: Medium to full-bodied, cellar-aged red
The Wine
Cyril Henschke celebrates the contribution of Stephen Henschke’s father, a pioneering figure in Australian varietal and single-vineyard wine. Its fruit comes from the family’s Eden Valley vineyard, where Cyril planted Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1960s. At around 500 metres elevation, the site provides the conditions for a particularly fragrant, finely structured expression of the variety.
The 2012 combines 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 7% Merlot, grown under the family’s organic and biodynamic practices. The components were vinified separately and matured for 18 months in French oak hogsheads, 38% new, before blending and bottling.
Henschke rated 2012 an exceptional vintage. A relatively mild summer and extended ripening period delivered intense flavour, fresh acidity and mature tannins, with Cabernet a particular highlight of the season.
Cassis, redcurrant and blackberry are lifted by violets, leafy fragrance and dried herbs. Cedar, anise and savoury complexity add depth, while fine tannins carry the fruit through a long finish. Bottle age brings an increasingly autumnal dimension to a wine whose distinction rests on its combination of flavour, elegance and persistence.
Cellared Says
I’d recommend this to anyone who loves Australian Cabernet and wants to explore the character Eden Valley can bring to it. The fragrance, freshness and fine texture make Cyril a particularly compelling wine to follow with age.
The 2012 has the pedigree of both a distinguished vineyard and an exceptional season. I’d be delighted to open a well-stored bottle now, with the confidence to keep others into the 2030s. This is a wine I’d make time for.
Reviews
“…very elegant, supple and beautifully balanced…”
97 Points — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
“It has a purity and elegance that puts it in a class of its own.”
97 Points — James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
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