-
97
/ 100
-
19+
/ 20
-
96
/ 100
-
96
/ 100
-
95
/ 100
Tasting Notes
This single vineyard Cabernet was named after the Late Cyril Henschke who purchased this Eden Valley property in the 1970s. It now comprises small elements of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Soils are well drained with sandy loams over gravel and patches of clay. Early vintages were partially barrel fermented and matured in American oak. Nowadays the wine – after vinification in headed down open fermenters – completes fermentation and 18 months maturation in 100% new French oak: mainly Vosges, Alliers and Berce. The style has come through quite an evolution – the wines show more finesse and balance than ever before. Cyril Henschke Cabernet is a very perfumed wine with intense pure blackcurrant cedar meaty characters, fine grained tannins and savoury/vanillin oak complexity. The Henschke name is perhaps better known for the Hill of Grace, but for me its premier red is one that since the 1981 vintage has stood head and shoulders above most other Australian cabernet-based wines. From the Eden Valley comes this wine of great depth and style which develops along the classic cedar and cigarbox lines of top Medoc reds in ripe years.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity
Classification: Red
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2021
Bottle Size: 750ml (Bottle)
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia, Eden Valley
Alcohol %: 14.5%
Cellaring: 15 Plus Years
Scores
97 / 100"Medium deep crimson. Fragrant cassis, dark plum, sage aromas with hint marzipan notes. Inky deep and generous with saturated blackcurrant, dark plum fruits, some attractive herbal/ sage/ bush garrigue notes, lovely mid-palate density and underlying grilled nut notes. Finishes bittersweet with persistent cassis/ graphite/ brambly notes. A lovely claret style infused with the perfume and terroir of the Eden Valley. 14.5% alc Drink 2027 – 2042"
- Andrew Caillard MW
19+ / 20
"I love Cyril, and this stunning 2021 takes up its position in Australia’s great pantheon of Cabernets because of its sheer quality, detail, and glittering uniqueness. No other wine tastes like it, making it an essential part of any Cabernet lover’s repertoire. ... This is a landmark vintage for Cyril, and I cannot wait to see how it evolves because I have a half-point in reserve, just in case I need it."
- Matthew Jukes
96 / 100
"A blend of organic/biodynamically farmed 99/1% cabernet sauvignon/merlot from the Cyril Henschke vineyard in the Eden Valley from the outstanding 2021 vintage. A beautiful bright magenta/crimson in the glass with a pretty, lifted aromatic profile. Plum, blackberry and blackcurrant with notes of sage, bay leaf, dried herbs, violets and crushed stone. Fruit pure and detailed with a very long, graceful finish and superfine, powdery, granitic tannins. A wonderful release for the Cyril Henschke."
- James Halliday's Wine Companion
96 / 100
"Intense, focused, powerful and yet elegant, this is medium-full bodied and far from a blockbuster, but has concentrated cabernet flavour that draws out neatly in a really long aftertaste. A top-notch cabernet with years ahead of it."
- Huon Hooke
95 / 100
"The 2021 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon hails from a block planted in the 1960s and the 1980s. The vineyard is planted east-west, with vertical shoot positioned trellising, and the straw mulch underneath the vines assists in bringing out the most expression possible. Fermentation involves very gentle cap management to withdraw gentle tannins from the wine. It matured for 18 months in French oak. The nose leads with violets and crushed rocks, dried herbs and ancient, dusty earth. With 1% Merlot, this is essentially a Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The wine takes me to the ancient gums and rocky outcrops of the Eden valley, a place I am incredibly fond of. This is the loveliest Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon I can recall—sleek and evocative. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."
- Erin Larkin
