Henschke Henry’s Seven | 2009 Shiraz Grenache Viognier Mourvèdre, Barossa | 9

There’s nothing better than sitting down and relaxing with a nice glass of a good mellow red. There’s something about the way in which the wine waltzes down your throat, sending a wave of warmth through your body. Although, there’s not much worse than swallowing a mouthful of red-coloured kerosene and having to pour the rest down the sink.

I’ve found that $100 bottles of wine can sometimes taste of absolute crap. Similarly, I’ve found many $10 wines that I really like. The great thing about Australian shirazes, cabernets or blends involving either is that when you pay around $20-$30, you always get a wine that you enjoy. The Henry’s Seven is a magnificent blend of quality and price that for $25, in my opinion, isn’t matched.

The bottle was empty very quickly. It's a lovely shape with a bulbous bottom. A bit like me, really.

I must begin by saying you don’t need to know anything about wine to enjoy it. For starters, I know pretty much bugger all. All you need to know is what you like. Sure, it might be cool to talk about ‘tannin’ or ‘body’, but the fact is, it’s just a drink. You know what flavours you like and what you don’t like, and I don’t want to cloud my description of this wine with wankery. My aim is to describe this wine as much as I can with words, so that if you choose to purchase a bottle, you (hopefully) will get what you expect.

The winemaker

The Henschke family has been making wine in the town of Eden Valley since 1862, and are well renowned for their Hill of Grace Shiraz, James Halliday’s second-favourite wine in 2009. Basically, if it’s Henschke, you know it’s quality. The Henry’s Seven is named so in honour of Henry Evans, who planted the first seven acres of vineyards at Kyneton, South Australia, just down the road from where Christian Henschke first planted his.

Nose

You get a lovely fresh nose with this wine, of fresh fruits and spice, particularly berries. It is a strong aroma that digs in your nostrils, forcing you into the wine; a great way to start.

It is a wonderful dark red colour, almost violet.

Palate

The front of the Henry’s Seven palate is a wonderful mix of ripe berries, plum and spice, with a buttery smoothness and a hint of grape skin. It entices you to send the wine over your tongue, to savour the tastes. There isn’t a great deal of fruit, but certainly plenty to be an excellent drink-now wine.

Most wines start well; it’s the body that counts. This is where the Seven shines: the wonderfully full flavour lingers in your mouth, particularly the plum flavour and buttery smoothness. This is often what you miss out on with the cheaper wines, and this fuller-bodied character allows it to be drunk on its own.

Finish

The great thing about the Seven is it finishes with a mild grape skin flavour, a hint of acid and only a small amount of tannin. I like a little bit of a grainy finish, but definitely not one that makes me feel like I’m drinking sand.

Importantly, it’s very morish – the finish leaves you wanting to experience another mouthful, and so on an so forth ... until suddenly, there goes the bottle.

I really like the Seven. It’s not an every week sort of wine, at least not on my budget. But if you’re off to dinner, fancy a little splurge, or really just really want a quality red for a decent price, then look no further. If you’re looking to bring something to impress your girlfriend’s father, this is the bottle that won’t break the bank!

On closer inspection, the wine is actually a deep red.