I am pleased with this outcome. There are a number of things which stand out about Hill of Grace:
1) The Gnadenfrei vineyard is a special place. It has a similar soil profile to the Northern Barossa, but higher elevation, eliminating shut-down times for the grapes
2) The vineyard management, in particular the care for the grandfather vines and the replanting program are exemplary for Australia.
3) The flavour profile is very special: a full bodied Shiraz, but elegant, with not just pepper, but very exotic spices.
The one drawback is that being a single vineyard wine, maybe one in three vintages is outstanding, one pretty good, and one somewhat disappointing. However, if you look at other great wines of the world, e.g. Bordeaux, you would get a similar result.
Which brings me to one point which is different: the pricing remains the same (high), irrespective of quality. In France, you have the choice, if you want to pay medium, to pick a 1st growth from a weaker year, or a 2nd or 3rd growth from a good year for a similar price. Something to think about.
Overall a very worthy, very Australian winner.
Well done, and thank you, voters, sorry for the drawn-out process.
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