Winery & Vintage Info
Hill of Roses is named as a tribute to Johann Gottlieb Rosenzweig (translating from German to ‘rose twig), a member of the early Barossa Lutheran community who settled at Parrot Hill in the Eden Valley. Their toil, perseverance and conservatism in hardship has meant that the many generations that followed have rejoiced in the riches of those efforts. This wine is produced from a small selection of low-yielding, dry-grown shiraz vines from the Hill of Grace Vineyard, planted as a nursery block in 1989. The planting is known as the ‘Post Office Block' after the historic Parrot Hill Post Office ruins overlooking the vineyard. These vines were a mere 12 years old when the wine was first produced in 2001 and at present are too young to be considered for inclusion in the Hill of Grace vintages. As per the Barossa Old Vine Charter, an ‘old vine’ is equal to or greater than 35 years of age. The quality of the grapes from this selection, however, has produced a wine that has warranted a separate bottling and limited release.
100% 28-year-old shiraz grown on one single block at the Henschke Hill of Grace Vineyard in the Eden Valley wine region, managed with organic and biodynamic practices.
Harvested April 28th. Matured in 25% new and 75% seasoned (89% French, 11% American) oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.
A later start to picking and a mild period of ripening finished with the last grapes being picked in mid-May. A wet 2016 winter gave us a good foundation for our predominantly dry-grown vines on their own roots, and a cool, wet and fiercely windy spring followed, with a slightly higher spring rainfall than the Barossa Valley, which delayed flowering, though conditions during set meant that yields were at average levels. A mild summer with regular rainfall events followed, which allowed the grapes to reach full physiological maturity. The significant rainfall events largely missed our area and therefore we harvested the majority of our grapes in healthy condition. As always, careful hand picking in the vineyard and sorting of grapes as they were processed made sure that quality was not compromised.
