2025 Henschke Julius Riesling

Henschke Julius is an underrated great Australian white wine, if a Henschke wine can be such a thing.

Named after ancestor Albert Julius Henschke - the sculptor whose work still stands at the local Gnadenberg Cemetery - this wine is always a Riesling of intense structure. The 2025 vintage, however, was a proper test. It was one of the hottest and driest seasons in living memory, kicking off with a nasty frost in September that hammered the region.

Remarkably, the vines bounced back on secondary buds, and a cooler run into a February harvest saved the day. Sourced from the family’s high-altitude Eden Valley vineyard on sandy loam and bedrock, the result shows just how resilient these vines are.

Expect that trademark Henschke clarity - lime blossom and fine citrus aromas backing up a palate that feels electric and focused. It’s razor-sharp and purposeful, with a mineral spine that drives a long, clean finish. It’s drinking beautifully now, but given the pedigree, it’s got decades ahead of it.

95 points
"The intensity of fruit here, and the length of the finish, are elite class... This is a cellar-worthy riesling if ever there was one."
- Campbell Mattinson