“Johann’s Garden” Barossa Valley 2019 – Henschke

To produce the “Johann’s Garden” Barossa Valley Henschke each parcel was hand picked separately and remained so throughout the vinification process. Once in the winery, the best grapes were selected using a sorting table followed by selective technology, before being destemmed and lightly crushed, either into small concrete or stainless steel open-top fermenters. A submerged cap was performed in order to manage a slow tannin extraction.The fermentations were controlled with a combination of punch-downs and pump-overs being performed twice daily, allowing the liquid to be cooled via a heat-exchanger, with air being introduced on the return to the fermenter. After 7-10 days and just prior to reaching dryness, the fermentations were gently pressed to barrel with the primary fermentation finishing in seasoned French oak barriques and hogshead barrels. The wine matured for 10 months before blending and bottling.

Named as a tribute to the early German Silesian pioneers of the Barossa, many of whom carried the first name of Johann. Barossa growers traditionally referred to their vineyard as their ‘garden’, from the German weingarten. Their traditions and culture have survived to this day, including the winemaking techniques used in this Grenache-led blend. It is produced from low-yielding, dry-farmed parcels of Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz. A combination of gnarly old bush vines and trellised vines on limestone soils from selected Barossa Valley vineyards.

The Henschke family have been making wine at their estate in the Eden Valley since 1868. Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke took over running the winery in 1979. Together with his viticulturist wife Prue, they have taken their two single vineyards, Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone, and transformed them into two of Australia’s most sought-after wines. Through a combination of great viticulture from Prue, who is at the forefront of re-introducing native plants into their vineyards to improve biodiversity, and winemaking from Stephen, they have built upon their inheritance and turned this traditional producer in to one that is celebrated all around the world.