Ranked #1 of 16 2012 Shiraz from Eden Valley
98/100
5 Stars
Huon Hooke
Deep, dark red with a good tint of purple and a classic Hill of Grace bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, blueberry and dried herbs, with the trademark hint of mulberry jam and a little forest floor. The palate is powerful, intense, concentrated, with more smoky oak than Hill of Roses, but it's been subtly handled. Remarkably supple, fine-grained tannins, gorgeous texture, tremendous length. There is great profundity but also elegance. A very stylish wine. It's at a far remove from the blockbuster Barossa style. A totally authentic vineyard wine: it could not be anything but Hill of Grace. As a new release Hill of Grace, this is as good a vintage as I've ever tasted. I suspect it will rate 99 points when mature
Tasted: 09/05/2017
Drink: 2017 to 2052
99 Points Robert Parker
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Hill of Grace Shiraz is a little reticent on the nose to begin, opening out to a somewhat paradoxically tantalizing Black Forest cake, beef dripping, fertile loam and tree bark nose with hints of black pepper, Marmite, bay leaves, eucalyptus, licorice and baker’s chocolate. The medium to full-bodied palate is a wonderfully intricate mélange of mineral, savory, dark fruits and spice layers, framed by velvety tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing epically. This is a truly great Hill of Grace that has just entered the first stage of its drinking window and should continue to develop beautifully over the next 25+ years.
Source: Robert Parker (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. August, 2017
99 Points James Halliday
It's been worth the wait, and then some, for this is a flawless Hill of Grace. It's an old cliche, but it's unavoidable: it is the ultimate iron fist in a velvet glove. While the fruit remains supreme, there are savoury tannins to support the 50-year cellaring potential of the wine. It is bottled under screwcap, not the elegant Vino-Lok of past vintages, because you want the most secure closure for ultra-long cellaring. The wine? Perfect colour, fragrant dark cherry/berry aromas and flavours, positive tannin and French oak support, great aftertaste. Drink to 2062.
James Halliday Wine Companion.
99 Points Tyson Stelzer
In walking the ancient vines of the isolated Hill of Grace vineyard during harvest, I discovered a personality to this place articulated
in its wines quite unlike any other. There is an effortless, indeed graceful and calm purity to this vintage that captures the
essence of this historic and celebrated place. It exudes a grand, expansive complexity and yet upholds restraint and elegance, alive
with the classic Chinese fine spice that is Hill of Grace, the dark chocolate of Barossa shiraz and a sage leaf note that Henschke
says is true to 2012. Tannins are gorgeously fine, intricately silky and yet commanding and tense, stringing out a finish of profound
line and length, backed with the brilliantly taut acid line that defines 2012. Approachable and irresistible now, don’t underestimate
the grand longevity of this season. Drink 2032 - 2052.
tysonstelzer.com.