Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz 2023

96 POINTS

Jeni Port - Winepilot

This vintage celebrates 21 years of Tappa Pass Shiraz. The wine has a long history of graceful ageing so you can only imagine that that will continue with the ’23 vintage. The maker suggests another good 20+ years and why not, for amid the black fruits, the violet florals, the spice and earthiness, there is a solid backbone firmly in place. A pure elegance resides here dressed in brilliant crimson-purple hues accompanied by a rousing bouquet of blackberries, violet, Aussie bush scents, black cherries, plum, spice. The palate, nicely crafted, shows a hint of earthy savouriness before launching into a rich trove of spices in cassia bark, clove and dark spiced woody notes to match the dark chocolate, Cherry Ripe and oak (French oak, 10% new). Comes together with an overall Wow! on the finish.

95 POINTS

Tony Love - Winepilot

Sourced from historical German/Silesian grape growers’ vineyards in both the Light Pass (north-eastern Barossa Valley) and Tappa Pass (northern Eden Valley) districts, there’s a richness and depth of bouquet and flavour here that reflects those older vines and their resilience and elder wisdom. Dark fruited, earthy, some rich, almost cedary wood, almost dark choc mint as well, perhaps some big gum influence all adding a dense weave of vinous interest through the palate, which is deftly concentrated, inherently powerful and holds within it a sense of enduring respect in every sip.

95 POINTS

Tom Kline - Winepilot

Lashings of black pepper mix with black cherry and blackberry for a very appealing opening. A swirl unlocks black olive tapenade, charred meat, woody spice, a flicker of leather, clove and dried violet, with plum and graphite emerging with air. The palate is cool yet dense, elegant yet intense — black cherry, blackberry, plum, leather, meat, black olive and pepper spice. The tannins are firm and grainy but wonderfully integrated, providing a frame on which it all carries very long. A wine of class and restraint that still exhibits power and strong regional identity from this Barossa stalwart.

94 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front

I held a theory, for a while, that Tappa Pass Shiraz was the weakest wine in the Henschke range, or the weakest in relation to its price. Those days and that thinking is now well past. This release of Tappa Pass Shiraz is a wine of noteworthy length, substantial flavour, warmth, polish and class. It tastes of plum, mint, rust, malt, tar and smoked meat, none of which descriptors do justice to the impression of ‘extra’ you get with this wine.

92 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Tappa Pass Shiraz is fine and spicy, shaped by supple tannins and a finish that feels both light and chalky. The 2023 season was cool and wet, and the wines have shown a limpid delicacy. This is distinct from the similarly wet and cool 2017 vintage, when many vineyards experienced higher yields, impacting the quality of the final wines. This is a spicy, medium-bodied iteration of Barossa Shiraz. It is elegant. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.