Chardonnay “Croft” Adelaide Hills 2019 – Henschke

The grapes to produce the Chardonnay “Croft” Adelaide Hills Henschke were hand harvested in the cool of the morning by the middle of March. Each parcel remained separate throughout the vinification process until the final assemblage was made. The fruit was whole-bunch pressed to tank for cold-settling, followed by racking at varying levels of cloudiness (thus retaining the finest grape solids) into French oak, of which 14% was new and 86% seasoned, for the fermentations. Several parcels were allowed to spontaneously undergo indigenous yeast fermentation. Once completed, the wine remained in the barriques, puncheons and hogheads on lees and was stirred periodically. Some malolactic conversion was allowed to proceed and the wine aged for 10 months in oak before bottling.

Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke and his wife Prue purchased the Lenswood property in the Adelaide Hills in 1981. At 550 metres above sea level, the Lenswood vineyard offers not only magnificent views over the traditional vine country but also higher rainfall and humidity, cooler temperatures to retain high natural acidity, yet still enough sunshine to fully ripen the grapes. The chardonnay vineyard, which consists of seven clones, has taken its name from Frederick Croft, an orchardist who took up a neighbouring property in 1938. 

The Henschke family have been making wine at their estate in the Eden Valley since 1868. Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke took over running thewinery 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.