Hentley Farm is a boutique, single estate vineyard that focuses on producing premium quality single-estate and single-block wines reflective of their exceptional Barossan terrior. 'The Marl' takes its name from the fruit grown on red clay loam over marl (a friable earthy deposit consisting of clay and limestone) which reduces the water and nutrient availability producing low crops and rich flavours. True to the style, the Shiraz is layered with berry fruits with hints of dark chocolate, earth and subtle spice. While full-bodied the palate is soft with lovely lingering finish.

Shiraz from Orange is quite unique in style compared to most other regions in Australia and is more reminiscent of the Northern Rhone, France. The Idiot Shiraz is a young wine that has a lovely colour deep red with some purple hues. The aroma is spicy, lifted and intense. There is an appealing liquorice character to the intense fruit aromas. Bright full fruit flavours in a medium-bodied package; classic cool area shiraz some spice integrated with red fruits; lovely soft tannins and finish.

The wine is brilliant deep crimson red in colour with a tinge of brick brown. The wine demonstrates the benefits of using many traditional French Burgundy winemaking techniques, comprising of barrel fermentation, extended lees and skin contact, malolactic fermentation, and hot fermentation. These methods have produced a very complex wine, showing cherry, spice and strawberry like varietal fruit aromas with sweet vanillin oak characters derived from barrel fermentation in French oak and storage of 12 months in oak. A full flavoured medium bodied wine, with great length and solid structure, offering soft cherry and plum like ripe Pinot Noir flavours, complemented by fine grained tannins and attractive lingering French oak characters finishing with a crisp acidity.

Wine is a vibrant dark plum red colour with brick brown hues.On the nose a subtle white pepper and spicy berry fruit bouquet is rich and dominant. On the palate the lifted aromas follow through and complement the balanced structure of fine tannins, ripe berry flavours and a lean elegant finish. The fruit flavours fill the full length of the palate. This medium to full bodied wine will cellar for at least 8 years under the right conditions and combines beautifully with lamb, mild curry dishes or our favourite, Osso Bucco.

A hot dry vintage produced Cabernet grapes that were too ripe and concentrated to make table wine. The wine was fortified on skins to extract maximum colour and flavour. The wines colour is a deep brick red with fresh purple tints. It has a rich fruity Cabernet bouquet with mature grape flavours, complexed with very old fine brandy spirit used in the fortification. A true vintage port style, it is a wine of high viscosity, luscious, rich, and full flavoured, and perfectly balanced by a slightly dry tannin finish. The great length of complex flavours highlight the integration of fruit character and brandy spirit esters and oils.

The 2017 vintage in Orange was unusually warm and dry, giving this wine a strong backbone of ripe fruit characters.The wine is a bright dense cherry red with a tinge of brick red.The bouquet exhibits lifted spicy ripe fruit and light earthy plummy Shiraz aromas, combined with soft vanillin oak characters. Full bodied, the length of the palate is filled with very youthful plummy spicy Shiraz flavours. These fruit characters are balanced by drying oak tannins which contribute both complexity and length to the wine. With a finish that is typical of cold climate Shiraz fruit crisp, clean and elegant.

Deep dense crimson red in colour with a youthful purple and brick red hues, the wine has lifted, cassis and herbaceous berry like fruit aromas currently dominating the bouquet with cigar box vanilla wood overtones. The palate is well structured and full bodied, featuring rich, ripe and persistent classic Cabernet flavours supported by a backbone of integrated, finely grained soft tannins and French oak. The ripe fruit flavours are enhanced and sweetened by the oak and finishes with a balanced crisp acidity. Together these characteristics produce a wine of great complexity that fill the mouth over the length of the whole palate. The overall richness weight and structure of the wine will see it greatly improve with further careful cellaring over the next 10 years. It is an elegant, sophisticated wine that will age gracefully. The wine is an excellent accompaniment for red meat dishes especially BBQ and heavy pasta dishes and curries.

Brilliant colour, dense red right to the edge. Sweet, blackberry and mulberry nose highlighted with French Oak. Fruit, wood, alcohol and tannins are combining for a wonderful long finish. Medium bodied, will only get better with time. In balance now, but it would be a shame to drink it too soon – 2018 onwards.