"Includes 3% viognier, destemmed only, co-fermented, 9 days on skins, matured in French oak (35% new) for 16 months. Vivid crimson-purple; fruit, oak and tannins are in perfect alignment, all expressive, the juicy blackberry and satsuma plum fruit has clearly gained freshness from the viognier, and allows textural complexity free play. A lovely Barossa Valley shiraz."
96 points, James Halliday (January 2017)
"Very deep red/purple colour, very youthful. Aromas of banana, cherry, raspberry: fruit-driven and shows less obvious super-ripeness than some vintages. It seems less oaky and more fruit-forward too. Fresh and fragrant, bright and lively and somewhat atypical. You can sense the viognier (although it's a tiny fraction of the wine). There's no lack of intensity or weight, though. Dare I say it's a more elegant style."
94 points, Huon Hooke (October 2017)
"Showing a bit more vibrance and intensity than the 2015, Hentley Farm's 2016 Shiraz The Beauty is a winning medley of raspberries and blueberries, all wrapped in a subtle oak blanket. It's full-bodied and spicy, showing a bit of exotic stone fruit on the palate, then fades slowly on a frame of dry, silky tannins."
93 points, Joe Czerwinski (September 2018)
Colonel William Light, the South Australian colony’s Surveyor-General, named the Barossa in 1837 after the site of an English victory over the French in the Spanish Peninsular War. In the mid-1800’s Silesian and English immigrants settled in the area. The Barossa itself comprises two distinct sub-regions: Eden Valley and the warmer Barossa Valley floor at 270m.The Barossa Valley enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate characterised by hot dry summers and relatively low rainfall. Cool sea breezes from the Gulf of St Vincent modify the temperature, however hot northerly winds can occasionally dominate creating considerable vine stress. Many older established vineyards are dry-grown, but supplementary irrigation is also extensively used. The valley is comprised of rich brown soils and alluvial sands. A long history of uninterrupted viticulture in the area means the Barossa valley is home to Australia’s largest concentration of old-vine Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre with many over 100 years old. Although most famous for Shiraz, the Barossa can also produce fragrant and deliciously fruity Grenache blends and beautifully rich, chocolatey Cabernet Sauvignons.
Hentley Farm
Hentley Farm is a boutique producer situated in Greenock Creek in the Seppeltsfield sub-region of the Barossa Valley. The estate's vineyard spans 150 acres, with varying aspects and altitudes contributing to the different terroirs within the site. Plantings consist predominately of Shiraz with smaller holdings of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Viognier. Hentley Farm's viticultural philosophy is one of dry farming with minimal intervention, promoting the encouragement of deep rooting systems to tolerate the lack of rain in this dry region. Their first release was in 2002.
