CHAPTER 20 | 1950s – Boom Times Again
1958 HENSCHKE HILL OF GRACE Eden Valley, Barossa, South Australia
The release of the historic white-labelled 1958 Henschke Hill of Grace, which coincided with the centenary of the Gnadenberg Church at Parrot Hill, marked the beginning of a long road to recognition and success. Cyril Henschke recognised that table wine would become more important in post-war Australian society. Without fanfare, he began making wines from the 1912-planted Mount Edelstone Vineyard in 1952 and then from the circa 1860-established Hill of Grace in 1958. At the time, there was little emphasis on the age or heritage of the vines. Hill of Grace Premier Quality was described as ‘a firm, full flavoured wine of unusual character’. These comments may well have been a reaction to this single vineyard’s unique location and strong subregional characteristics. Unlike the first vintages of Grange, the style was not groundbreaking, and the first two decades did not inspire awe. But Hill of Grace’s reputation grew over time, from admiration to reverence, as its story and quality became widely known. The development of the 1860s-planted vineyard by
viticulturalist Prue Henschke during the late 1970s onwards would be connected to persistence, resilience, and protection of unique pre-phylloxera genetic vinestock material. The release of 1958 Hill of Grace Shiraz would foreshadow the importance of single vineyards, place names, and family narratives in the emerging Australian ultra-fine wine scene. At a 2023 tasting to celebrate 60 years of Hill of Grace releases, the 1958 vintage, in perfect condition, still showed lovely, developed apricot, wax polish, hint chinotto, earthy aromas and flavours, fine looseknit chalky textures, and a light tannin plume at the finish.
Henschke Hill of Grace label, 1985. [Henschke Collection]
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