POLL: Would you pay $1,000 for the 2021 Hill of Grace?

[Chuck]

What has always puzzled me is the ability to buy (say) 20 year old Grange from great vintages, with provenance, at prices lower than current release. Substantially lower. Yes the price is more than on release but...Go figure.

Chuck, same as Hill of Grace, I was happy to take $400 a bottle profit, on something I could never afford to drink, on very very very modest wages to buy a car, otherwise that I could not afford to purchase.
Problem with these types of wines and Stephen Henschke laughs with a grin from ear to ear, that he knows like the rest of us, the bar is way too high to begin with, so the only way the price goes is south. I just rolled my eyes when the 2019 had an RRP of $950, is it fetching that on the second hand market? The rest of us will be in the ground, before you get anywhere near the sort of returns this wine did in the 90s, 2021 HoG would need to be at least $15,000 by 2040

Perhaps there's a chance for all of us to get a bottle or two, with the holding back of the challenging aka shit 2020 vintage

Cheers Craig

Hi Craig.

Yes. I'm sure we have all regretted selling a great bottle to finance a growing family. Mine was buying a Penfolds 1962 Bin 60A for around $300 and being forced to sell it for $1,000 within a year. That was just before it was voted number 7 in the top 100 wines in the history of the world.

Regarding 2020 vintage. SA has had a rare good streak of vintages recently. 19, 21,22 were outstanding with 18 not too shabby. What went wrong in 2020? I can't seem to find anything on it.

Chuck

[phillisc]

Hi Chuck,
in short a few issues, with significant frosts in the previous September (2019), wiping out a lot of vineyards in a number of areas in SA.
In the new year less than ideal temperatures (cold snaps), and then fires in the Adelaide hills. In short reduced yields, but some claiming what was picked will realise a few outstanding wines...unicorns more like it.

My small sample of what I have tried is that a number wines have structure, which on the nose and initial taste have potential, but little richness and depth, with, in some cases fruit never arriving or desperately trying to push through to the palate. At many CDs/tastings, yes there is this little nod from the winemaker, "OK, but not great".
Many of course will represent this as gentle wines with great finesse....nothing to see here

The other issue is the outstanding quality of the vintages either side, so 2020 is stuck between a rock and hard place.
At least some 2020s are not thin, green, weedy, harsh, full of acid and sharp edges like many 2017 wines.

Too many good wines from 2019 and 2021 to bother with 2020. I may have less that 2 dozen in total in the cellar.
At the time, I spoke to a couple of vignerons in the BV who were refreshingly honest, in their words 2020 was a miserable vintage.

Matt may want to weigh in...he is much closer to the scene than I am.

cheers Craig

[n4sir]

Perhaps there's a chance for all of us to get a bottle or two, with the holding back of the challenging aka shit 2020 vintage

Cheers Craig

Regarding 2020 vintage. SA has had a rare good streak of vintages recently. 19, 21,22 were outstanding with 18 not too shabby. What went wrong in 2020? I can't seem to find anything on it.

Chuck

Shit vintage is a pretty good descriptor for 2020 in SA.

Frosts early in the season, then drought, summer heat and the bushfire in the Adelaide Hills. Yalumba didn't make a Signature that year, which is such a rarity it should speak volumes... Coonawarra faired a little better, but overall there were a handful of decent reds and a lot of duds. I have none for the cellar, because they are not remotely worth it - often hard, acidic, usually jammy, and always lack flesh and length. That's not even touching the badly smoke tainted reds of the Adelaide Hills (and some surrounds).

[Sean]

Just adding to what has been already said.

It was slightly different for Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, but the dismal result for 2020 was the same.

Barossa Valley - They had a frost event in Oct 2019 and strong windy weather after that. Also below average rainfall in winter and spring 2019. Followed by hot and dry weather in Dec 2019 and Jan 2020. Yields down 50% below the average.

Eden Valley - Good rainfall in winter 2019. But half the average rainfall in spring 2019. They had hot temperatures in Oct and December, but milder weather with cool nights after that. Windy conditions during flowering and the hot, dry start to the growing season cited as the reason for low yields.

Re the quality of reds - talk to the winemaker & try before you buy (if you can) in vintages like this.

Specifically with Henschke, frost was mentioned as the issue. They had only one barrel of the HoG for bottling. Not enough to release to everyone and why they are holding it back as a museum wine.

[Chuck]

Perhaps there's a chance for all of us to get a bottle or two, with the holding back of the challenging aka shit 2020 vintage

Cheers Craig

Regarding 2020 vintage. SA has had a rare good streak of vintages recently. 19, 21,22 were outstanding with 18 not too shabby. What went wrong in 2020? I can't seem to find anything on it.

Chuck

Shit vintage is a pretty good descriptor for 2020 in SA.

Frosts early in the season, then drought, summer heat and the bushfire in the Adelaide Hills. Yalumba didn't make a Signature that year, which is such a rarity it should speak volumes... Coonawarra faired a little better, but overall there were a handful of decent reds and a lot of duds. I have none for the cellar, because they are not remotely worth it - often hard, acidic, usually jammy, and always lack flesh and length. That's not even touching the badly smoke tainted reds of the Adelaide Hills (and some surrounds).

Thanks guys. Always a great source of local knowledge now that we no longer live in god's own country. Still plenty of 19,21 and 22 wines around following the glut caused by the double edged sword of reduced demand and increased production over recent years. It's the Riverland growers that I really feel for. From what I've heard drinkers have cut back on quantity (some say 10%) and moved to better quality. Ouch.

Great to hear from you Ian. Stay safe.

Chuck

[Mike Hawkins]

Perhaps there's a chance for all of us to get a bottle or two, with the holding back of the challenging aka shit 2020 vintage

Cheers Craig

Regarding 2020 vintage. SA has had a rare good streak of vintages recently. 19, 21,22 were outstanding with 18 not too shabby. What went wrong in 2020? I can't seem to find anything on it.

Chuck

Shit vintage is a pretty good descriptor for 2020 in SA.

Frosts early in the season, then drought, summer heat and the bushfire in the Adelaide Hills. Yalumba didn't make a Signature that year, which is such a rarity it should speak volumes... Coonawarra faired a little better, but overall there were a handful of decent reds and a lot of duds. I have none for the cellar, because they are not remotely worth it - often hard, acidic, usually jammy, and always lack flesh and length. That's not even touching the badly smoke tainted reds of the Adelaide Hills (and some surrounds).

Thanks guys. Always a great source of local knowledge now that we no longer live in god's own country. Still plenty of 19,21 and 22 wines around following the glut caused by the double edged sword of reduced demand and increased production over recent years. It's the Riverland growers that I really feel for. From what I've heard drinkers have cut back on quantity (some say 10%) and moved to better quality. Ouch.

Great to hear from you Ian. Stay safe.

Chuck

For my tastes, 2019 was pretty average for Barossa/Eden reds. It’s a vintage I’m happy I largely skipped. I know a few winemakers who privately said the same. OTOH, 2018 is superb and will be even better down the track. Henschke, despite the prices, smashed it in 2018…. 2021 and 2022 look to be excellent as well, albeit quite different in profiles.

[VinoEd]

Shit vintage is a pretty good descriptor for 2020 in SA.

Frosts early in the season, then drought, summer heat and the bushfire in the Adelaide Hills. Yalumba didn't make a Signature that year, which is such a rarity it should speak volumes... Coonawarra faired a little better, but overall there were a handful of decent reds and a lot of duds. I have none for the cellar, because they are not remotely worth it - often hard, acidic, usually jammy, and always lack flesh and length. That's not even touching the badly smoke tainted reds of the Adelaide Hills (and some surrounds).

Thanks guys. Always a great source of local knowledge now that we no longer live in god's own country. Still plenty of 19,21 and 22 wines around following the glut caused by the double edged sword of reduced demand and increased production over recent years. It's the Riverland growers that I really feel for. From what I've heard drinkers have cut back on quantity (some say 10%) and moved to better quality. Ouch.

Great to hear from you Ian. Stay safe.

Chuck

For my tastes, 2019 was pretty average for Barossa/Eden reds. It’s a vintage I’m happy I largely skipped. I know a few winemakers who privately said the same. OTOH, 2018 is superb and will be even better down the track. Henschke, despite the prices, smashed it in 2018…. 2021 and 2022 look to be excellent as well, albeit quite different in profiles.

I probably haven’t had enough to have a firm view, but I think for Barossa 2018 > 2019, for Coonawarra 2019 > 2018.

Cheers Ed