The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
News
Crimson red with garnet hues. Spicy red cherry, wild forest berries and red currant aromas entwine with nuances of tomato stem, raspberry leaf, fennel and dried herbs and savoury notes of cured meats, clove and nutmeg. Plush red and black fruits are supported by savoury tannins and red currant acidity to create supple layers of texture for a long and elegantly spicy finish.
Wine Description
The Story
In 1981, fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke and his wife Prue purchased a property in the Adelaide Hills with the intention of planting varieties well suited to the cooler climate of the region. The vineyard was originally part of a beautiful valley of apple orchards and natural forest that were destroyed by the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983. Sitting at an altitude of 550m with an annual average rainfall of 1100mm, the Lenswood vineyard slopes offer not only beautiful views towards the older vine country, but also provide enough sunshine to fully ripen the grapes, together with cooler temperatures to retain natural acidity. This reserve pinot noir is produced from hand-selected fruit from the best plots of 25-yearold vines and named as a tribute to Alan Archer, whose love of wine and food helped create The Chesser Cellar’s fame in Adelaide.
Vintage 2012
Lower-than-average yields in Australia, as across much of Europe. This was blamed on high winds, drought and low fruitfulness resulting from the poor 2011 vintage. Quality, however, was much better than in the exceptionally damp 2011, with South Australia avoiding some of the weather extremes experienced by other states. Strong varietal typicality is a commonly cited feature of the 2012 crop.
