The Beast and The Beauty of Hentley Farm Wines
You don’t win the prestigious James Halliday Winery of the Year unless you’ve got some serious plonk! In 2024, the winner was Bleasdale Wines from Langhorne Creek, while in 2023, it was the famed Pooley Wines in Tasmania – where they make what are undoubtedly amongst the best pinot noir from Australasia. So when the opportunity arose to lift the bonnet on the current and past repertoire of the 2015 winner of Halliday’s top gong, I jumped at the chance.
The Barossa Valley in South Australia is best known for its full-bodied, ripe and juicy shiraz, but at Hentley Farm, award-winning winemaker Andrew Quin is crafting wines that “show varietal diversity and are attractive and approachable when young, with the depth and structure for extended cellaring”. Having started his oenological journey as a viticulturist, it’s no surprise that Quin believes that the highest quality wines are made in the vineyard rather than the winery. Although he has made wines around the world – including France and the USA – Quin has called Hentley Farm home since he arrived there in 2008. And in a 15-year stint at the helm, Quin’s passion for quality has seen his planning and attention to detail (of meticulous proportion) take the Hentley Farm wines from strength to strength.
The Hentley Farm range is seemingly skewed towards the top end; perhaps because of Quin’s “Holy Grail” quest for quality. But while most of their red wines are listed above the $100 a bottle mark, there are still a bunch of wines that sell in a more budget-friendly price range worthy of gracing even the most discerning of dining tables. The entry-level Villain and Vixen range includes Grenache, rose, chardonnay, GSM and Shiraz, selling at around $25 cellar door. The next step up is to the estate range where the (tricky to make) Zinfandel and (blend of wine from across the vineyards) Shiraz sell at $34 – fair value for wines of this quality.
But if you’re a lover of Barossa Shiraz and aim to find wines that offer the best balance between quality and price, then you can’t walk past ‘The Beauty’ ($69) and ‘The Beast’ ($94) Shiraz – a duo to match the talents and fame of Simon and Garfunkle or Sonny and Cher.
‘The Beauty’ is the more elegant of the two power partners. She’s all about grace and poise. And the exceptional 2021 vintage is more chic and posh than brawn and muscle. Splash, swirl and sniff and aromas of red fruits, leather, pipe tobacco and clove appear before the fruits explode across the palate on the first sip. Raspberry, blueberry and hints of nutmeg and all-spice appear on the back palate before the dash of viognier pokes it’s head out on a silky-smooth conclusion.
The Beast, true to its name, is more muscular in style. The deep purple hues in the glass forecast the depth and vibrancy of fruit that is evident from the moment your pursed lips touch the glass. Preserved plums, redcurrants and hints of cassis are profiled across the palate, while savoury tobacco nuances emerge alongside fine tannins and lovely oak characters at the back end. The finish is a bit like the Never Ending Story – it languishes well beyond the momentary sip: power, presence and perfection. ‘The Beast’ is a superb Shiraz now, but will only improve in the coming decades.
More aptly, could they perhaps have been named “The Bold and the Beautiful”?
Ripe, juicy and full-flavoured red wines might not appeal to everyone’s palate. But when a dash of rich wine decadence is the order of the day, the Hentley Farm range is an undoubtably worthy contender.