Hill of Grace

The name Hill of Grace is a translation from the German 'Gnadenberg', a region in Silesia, and the name given to the Lutheran church that overlooks the vineyard. Henschke's timeline states that the first vines, known as the 'Grandfathers', were planted by Nicolaus Stanitzki, and that the villagers built the Gnadenberg Lutheran Church that same year. Paul Gotthard Henschke purchased the vineyard in 1891, later planting another block of Shiraz in 1910. After his death in 1914, his sons and executors arranged the transfer of the vineyard to Julius Philip Henschke, who had married Ida Maria Magdalena Stanitzki, a granddaughter of Nicolaus Stanitzki; on Julius Philip's death in 1928, the property transferred to his widow. The property was later purchased by Louis Edmund Henschke, brother of Cyril, who worked the vineyard and property for nearly 40 years. Cyril Henschke created the first Hill of Grace in 1958 from Shiraz vines up to 100 years old.

• Circa 1860s: oldest vines planted by Nicolaus Stanitzki
• 1891: Paul Gotthard Henschke purchases the vineyard; another Shiraz block planted in 1910
• 1928: property transfers to the widow of Julius Philip Henschke
• 1958: Cyril Henschke creates the first Hill of Grace

Hill of Grace is made by Henschke, which describes itself as one of Australia's oldest family-owned wineries, making wine in the Barossa's Eden Valley wine region since 1868. Fourth-generation winemaker Cyril Henschke took over the family winery in 1950, and the family history credits him as a pioneer of single-varietal and single-vineyard wines by the mid-1950s, with Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace as his greatest legacy. Stephen Henschke took over the winemaker role from his father Cyril in 1979. As of September 2026, the producer's team page lists Stephen Henschke as Chief Winemaker, Gwyn Olsen as Senior Winemaker, Fraser Armstrong as Winemaker and Prue Henschke as Viticulturist. The sixth generation, Johann, Justine and Andreas Henschke, are all actively involved in the family business. Henschke is one of twelve wineries belonging to Australia's First Families of Wine.

• Henschke: family-owned, making wine in the Eden Valley since 1868
• Cyril Henschke (fourth generation) took over the family winery in 1950
• Stephen Henschke (fifth generation) took over as winemaker from Cyril in 1979
• Team as of September 2026: Stephen Henschke (Chief Winemaker), Gwyn Olsen (Senior Winemaker), Fraser Armstrong (Winemaker), Prue Henschke (Viticulturist)

The Hill of Grace Vineyard covers 8ha, of which 4ha are Shiraz; the remaining 4 hectares are planted with Riesling, Semillon and Mataro. The Shiraz is designated as eight individual blocks, and only the six oldest blocks are used in Hill of Grace Shiraz. All vines are planted on their own roots, and Henschke states that the Shiraz cuttings were brought by early settlers from the Hermitage region of France. The producer groups the vines that make the wine as Ancestors (vines over 125 years), Centenarians (vines over 100 years), Survivors (vines over 70 years) and Old Vines (vines over 35 years). The vineyard sits at an altitude of 400m with rainfall of 520mm and an aspect of north through west to south. The technical sheet summarises the soils as alluvial, sandy loam over clay; in more detail, the slopes carry thick, red, clay-rich loams overlain by a veneer of brown, fine, sandy-to-silty loam, with an additional layer of alluvial silty loam near Parrot Hill Creek. Vines are wide planted at 3.1m x 3.4m and dry grown, with an average yield of 2.5 t/ha.

• Size: 8ha (4ha Shiraz); Riesling, Semillon and Mataro on the remaining 4 hectares
• Six oldest of eight Shiraz blocks go into Hill of Grace
• Altitude 400m; rainfall 520mm; average yield 2.5 t/ha (1 t/acre)
• Soils: alluvial, sandy loam over clay
• Mass selection carried out over three growing seasons from 1986; nursery source block established in 1989

The vineyard is run using organic and biodynamic practices, with permanent swards of mainly native grasses in the rows, organic compost covered by a wheat-straw mulch under the vines, and local native plants that provide nectar for beneficial insects. Fruit is picked across the six blocks at different times according to ripeness and maturity, and the wine is made as individual lots. Henschke states that the Hill of Grace Vineyard is picked around the full moon at Easter. Cyril Henschke's first Hill of Grace in 1958 was made from handpicked grapes vinified in traditional open-top fermenters. The 2022 vintage was matured in 100% seasoned French oak hogsheads for 20 months prior to blending and bottling, at 14.5% alcohol, with a stated cellaring potential of 30+ years from vintage. Writing on jancisrobinson.com, Max Allen reports that the 2000s were marked by the change from cork to screwcap from 2002.

• Organic and biodynamic practices; native-grass swards; compost under wheat-straw mulch
• Blocks picked separately and made as individual lots
• 2022 vintage: 100% Shiraz, 14.5% alcohol, 20 months in 100% seasoned French oak hogsheads
• Cork to screwcap from 2002, per jancisrobinson.com

In 2001 the Henschke family created Hill of Roses from the nursery Shiraz vines on the Hill of Grace Vineyard. Henschke states that these vines were planted as a nursery block in 1989, that the planting is known as the 'Post Office Block', and that it is too young to be considered for inclusion in Hill of Grace. Prue Henschke told jancisrobinson.com that cuttings for the new block were selected off the Grandfathers. The first Hill of Faith Mataro was made in 2008 and the first Hill of Peace Semillon in 2012; Henschke says these additional single-vineyard wines will only be released from the best seasons.

• Hill of Roses: Shiraz from the 1989 nursery block, first made in 2001
• Hill of Faith: Mataro, first made in 2008
• Hill of Peace: Semillon, first made in 2012

The Drinks Business reported that the 2018 Langton's Classification of Australian Wine, the seventh such listing, placed Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz among the twenty-two wines in its top 'Exceptional' category. The same report named Hill of Grace as one of the 'Heritage Five', a new category taking the leading five labels from the Exceptional tier, alongside Penfolds Grange, Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay, Mount Mary Quintet Cabernet Blend and Wendouree Shiraz. According to the report, Langton's builds the classification by analysing the track record of fine wine in Australia's auction market, including prices and volume of demand. In February 2023 Henschke held a 60-year retrospective of Hill of Grace covering 26 vintages from 1958 to 2018, reported by Max Allen on jancisrobinson.com.

• 2018 Langton's Classification (seventh edition): 'Exceptional', the best of three categories
• One of the 'Heritage Five' with Penfolds Grange, Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay, Mount Mary Quintet and Wendouree Shiraz
• 60-year retrospective of 26 vintages (1958 to 2018) held in February 2023

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.henschke.com.au/, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/hill-of-grace-vineyard, https://www.henschke.com.au/products/2022-hill-of-grace, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/henschke-family-history, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/our-vineyards, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/stephen-henschke, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/prue-henschke, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/meet-the-team, https://www.henschke.com.au/products/2022-hill-of-roses, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/visit-us, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/accolades-and-awards, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/our-regions, https://www.henschke.com.au/products/hill-of-grace-experience, https://www.henschke.com.au/pages/sustainability, https://www.henschke.com.au/products/2022-mount-edelstone, https://www.henschke.com.au/products/2022-hill-of-peace. Secondary sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/henschkes-hill-grace-60, https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/08/langtons-unveils-latest-ranking/. Last verified 2026-09-23. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.