Hentley Farm is a single-estate boutique winery nestled amongst rolling hills in the west of the Barossa Valley. It is renowned for its meticulous viticultural planning and modern winemaking craft wines that perfectly balance the vibrancy of fruit, elegance of soft velvety tannins, and flavour richness distinctive of the exceptional site.

Hentley Farm was established in 1997 by Keith and Alison Hentschke, who had a single vision to craft exceptional single estate wines from the Barossa Valley. Prior to this, Keith acquired impressive credentials studying Agricultural Science and Wine Marketing at Roseworthy College, where he graduated with the prestigious Gramp Hardy Smith Memorial Prize for the college’s most outstanding student, and garnered extensive experience working in the wine industry.

Keith made good use of these years, searching for the perfect site and consulting with local winemakers and viticulturalists, who told him to ‘Head north west (Barossa) and look for the red/brown soil over limestone’. Using an old soil map from the 1950’s to strategically locate the best parcels of land, they discovered a mixed farming property set among the rolling hills on the banks of Greenock Creek in Barossa’s west, with remarkable diversity of soil types, and varying aspects and altitudes.

In 2004, the estate was extended with the purchase of a neighboring vineyard which shared the treasured natural amphitheater of rolling hills that surround Hentley Farm and resultant diversity of site. This single estate of 150 acres is Hentley Farm.

Keith’s experience and expertise as an agricultural scientist drove him to explore and understand the land before planting could begin.
He soon discovered that the altitude differential and east west aspect variation created surprising micro climates, and in collaboration with local viticulturalists, he set about exploring the diversity of soil on the site by digging forty soil pits around the property.

The extreme diversity of soil, aspect, and altitude across the property provided both an opportunity and a challenge which required meticulous planning for the layout of the vineyards. Specifically regarding; varietal selection, clone selection, row spacing, orientation, the type of trellising used, and water management.

Through this process Keith and his team created ‘viticultural blocks’; dividing the single vineyard in to nine blocks based on similar soil type, aspect and climate. Each block was then further divided into a collection of rows, depending on changes in the soil, aspect and micro-climates. The blocks were planted to Shiraz (70%), Grenache (17%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Zinfandel (2%), and a small parcel of Viognier (0.5%). The first wines were released from the property in 2002.

Since 2008, Head Winemaker Andrew Quin has influenced the evolution of the vineyard with a focus on crafting modern wines from traditional Barossa varieties. With his firm conviction that the best wines are made in the vineyard, it is no surprise that Andrew was drawn to Hentley Farm after returning home from vintages in France and the USA. His original field of study was – in fact – horticulture, and for Andrew winemaking provides the perfect opportunity to combine his scientific and technical knowledge with his artistic flair in the pursuit of ultimate quality.

Meticulous attention to detail continues in the winery. Each of the viticultural blocks and sub rows are assessed at time of harvest for optimal ripeness, with some vineyards receiving multiple picks throughout harvest. Andrew’s approach to these wines is about thoughtful and minimal winemaking intervention – to craft wines of balance, power and elegance, with the distinct Hentley Farm hallmarks of vibrancy, velvet silky tannins, and intense flavour richness.

The wines show varietal diversity and are attractive and approachable when young, with the depth and structure for extended cellaring. Under Andrew’s care, Hentley Farm has cemented its position as one of Australia’s leading boutique wineries with accolades across the globe – including 2015 James Halliday Winery of the Year. A story of vineyard and vintage told with every wine release; each restricted in volume by the boundaries of the estate, and vintage conditions.

If you’re in the market for budgerigars, now is the perfect time to explore the wonderful varieties available, both live and online, as we enter the unofficial auction season. Don’t forget to submit your entries for the Fisher Annual Show and place any supplementary ring orders. Additionally, if you have some free time on Sunday, head over to Tiddy Widdy Beach for a delightful budgie fix.

Until next week.