2013 Henschke Keynton Euphonium Red Blend 750 ml

“No Australian Wines are Richer”

Our Master of Wine Matt Deller, MW, who honed his palate on many of Australia’s finest wines, harbors no doubts about which winery sits atop the Australian hierarchy: It is Henschke. “Every wine is undoubtedly rich and powerful, yet all possess a certain class and refinement that distinguish them from the likes of Penfolds and Clarendon Hills,” says Deller, whose deep Southern Hemisphere relationships secured us a tiny 250-bottle allocation of the 95-point 2013 Henschke Keyneton Euphonium Red Blend. None other than Robert Parker would agree. The venerable critic has said: “Other than the top cuvees of Penfolds' Grange, and the old vine Grenache and Astralis from Clarendon Hills, no Australian wines are richer than these offerings from Henschke.” Perhaps none more so than today’s “Euhponium,” which hits all the same marks as Parker’s comments on previous Henschke wines in that it “coats the mouth with glorious levels of jammy fruit,” and “silky tannin.” It’s tough to find an authority who disagrees. James Halliday calls Henschke’s lineup “superbly made,” and Decanter says they are “established… at the top level of Australian winemaking.” With such praise and an exclusive U.S. allocation at $49.99 per bottle, this offer is not long for this world.

“What is most impressive about Henschke is that the wines are exceptional at all price levels,” says our own Master of Wine Matthew Deller, whose early-career experiences Down Under introduced him to the stunning wines of the hard-to-find, medium-sized producer. Since those days, none of the thousands of Aussie wines Deller has tasted have dented his opinion that Henschke is Australia’s most legendary producer — one that authoritative Aussie wine critic James Halliday asserts has “gone from strength to strength over the past three decades.”

Formerly known as the Keyneton Estate Shiraz, Henschke’s 2013 Keyneton Euphonium is a field blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc that gets a light-handed barrel treatment of 15% new and 85% seasoned oak. The warm and early 2013 growing season in South Australia assured vintners of stellar-quality fruit — in small amounts — making our securing of the “Euphonium” that much more auspicious.