Henschke Keyneton Euphonium

Henschke Keyneton Euphonium bottle image

Wine Description

The Barossa hills village of Keyneton, pioneered by pastoralist Joseph Keynes in 1842, was a musical and cultural focus for the early settlers, and was home to the Henschke Family Brass Band and the Henschke winery. The Henschke Family Band was founded in 1888 by Paul Gotthard Henschke and later led by third-generation Paul Alfred Henschke, and featured wonderful wind instruments such as a B flat euphonium, cornet and E flat clarinet. The B flat euphonium, a large brass wind instrument, was made by the famous Zimmermann factory in Leipzig, Germany, in the late 19th century. The instruments were imported by musical entrepreneur, Carl Engel of Adelaide in the late 1900s and have been lovingly restored and remain in the Henschke family

accordion plus icons
Acclaim
"Brilliant violet color. Mineral- and smoke-accented aromas of ripe dark berries, licorice and vanilla on the deeply perfumed nose, along with hints of cracked pepper that builds in the glass. Offers juicy, palate-coating cherry-vanilla and blackcurrant flavors that are supported by an undercurrent of smoky minerality that adds lift and back-end cut. Takes on a suave floral nuance on the long, supple finish, which is given shape by smooth, harmonious tannins."
— Vinous, Dec 2021
“The B-flat euphonium was part of the German brass ensemble in the Henschke Family Band as far back as 1888. Stephen and Prue Henschke maintain a collection of the original instruments, dedicating this wine to the family’s musical history. It’s a blend of shiraz (66 percent) with cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc grown in Eden and Barossa. The wine’s deep raspberry-red fruit has scented layers of date, herb and pine. It’s supple and complex, the sticky tannins the only aspect interfering with the wine’s harmony, a factor that should resolve itself with bottle age.”
— Wine & Spirits, Feb 2021
View more acclaim Arrow Right
accordion plus icons
Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Multiple Vineyards
Soil composition
Grey/brown clays, red-brown earth and yellow sands to sandy loam over gravel and bedrock
Elevation:
898-1,640 feet
Average Vine Age:
50 years
accordion plus icons
Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
66% Shiraz, 19 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Fermentation container:
Traditional open-top concrete fermentation tanks
Malolactic fermentation:
Full
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Hogsheads
Type of oak:
American and French
Length of aging before bottling:
18 months
accordion plus icons
Analytical Data
pH level:
3.5
Acidity:
6.5 g/L
Alcohol:
14.5 %
Residual sugar:
dry g/L
accordion plus icons
Wine Production

Matured in 20% new and 80% seasoned French oak hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.

accordion plus icons
About the Vineyard

A traditionally wet winter, mild spring and excellent fruit set provided a great start to the 2015 vintage after four vintages with below average yields. Spring was dry and led into a very mild, dry summer with no disease, resulting in fruit with higher natural acidity, and incredible flavour and colour concentration. It was a dry, warm and windy start to January, with some welcome rain at the end of the month coinciding with the onset of veraison; perfectly timed for the old dry-grown vineyards. Mild weather followed from February through to April providing a fairytale vintage, eventually winding down at the end of April as the rain and cooler temperatures set in.