Henschke Johann's Garden Grenache 2019 (Barossa Valley)

Named as a tribute to the early Silesian pioneers of the Barossa, many of whom carried the first name of Johann. Their toil, perseverance and conservatism in hardship has meant that the many generations that followed rejoiced in the riches of their prudent efforts. This blend is just one of those blessings. The traditions and culture have survived to this day, including the traditional winemaking techniques of open-top fermentation used in this grenache blend. It is produced from low-yielding Barossa Survivor Vines, equal or greater than 70 years old. These gnarled, dry-grown bush and trellised vines are grown on limestone soils from selected vineyards in the Barossa Valley. Barossa growers traditionally referred to their vineyard as their garden’, from the German Weingarten.

Vintage 2019 shaped up to be a challenging one, with below-average yields, however the quality was very high, with beautiful expressions of varietal character and generally good balance and structure. Yields were down due to Ten and chicken’ (berries of different sizes), caused by cold, wet conditions during flowering. Shiraz yields were the most affected by these factors, influenced by hail and severe wind causing poor fruit set. A dry winter, spring and summer with warmer than average temperatures in January and February lead to the advancement of maturity of all grape varieties in the Barossa Valley and an early onset of vintage.

80% Grenache and 20% Mataro grown in the Barossa Valley. Harvested 26th February through to 28th of March.
Grenache and Mataro vinified separately. Matured in seasoned French hogsheads for 10 months prior to blending and bottling.