Blend: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Merlot
James Suckling 96 pts Deeply perfumed and spicy, with aromas of blackcurrants, roasted coffee beans, cedar, blood plums, cured meat and cassis. The palate is seamlessly integrated, with a velvety texture, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity that leads into a supple yet structured finish with lingering flavors of bitter chocolate, mulberries, cigar box and paprika. Made from a blend of 59% shiraz, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc and 2% merlot. So much polish and class. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Ken Gargett – WinePilot.com 96pts A veritable fruit salad of classic red varieties here with Shiraz dominant (59%), supported by Cabernet Sauvignon (33%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Merlot (2%). The fruit comes from the Barossa Valley (40%) and Eden Valley (60%). Maturation was for twenty months in a combination of French and American hogsheads, with 20% of the French oak new. A vibrant dark maroon hue, the nose exhibits notes of coffee beans, mocha, kirsch, tobacco leaves, bergamot, cassis, cold tea and licorice. This is elegant and yet with intensity. Exciting stuff. Balanced, focused, fresh and energetic, there are silky tannins and momentous length. This will drink beautifully for at least fifteen years. As good a Euphonium as I can recall. Drink 2025-2040.
Producer Notes:
Keyneton Euphonium is a beautiful composition of shiraz from up to 50-year-old vines growing in the Eden and Barossa Valleys, blended with cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc from selected vineyards in both regions. The Barossa hills village of Keyneton, pioneered by pastoralist Joseph Keynes in 1842, was a musical and cultural focus for the early settlers, and home to the Henschke Family Brass Band and Henschke winery.
