Hill of Roses is produced from a mass selection from the Grandfather vines in the Hill of Grace Vineyard, planted as a nursery block in 1989 by Prue Henschke. The planting is known as the ‘Post Office Block’ after the historic Parrot Hill Post Office runs overlooking the vineyard. These vines were a mere 12 years old when the wine was first produced in 2001 and while the vines are too young to be considered for inclusion in Hill of Grace, the quality of fruit from this selection has produced a wine that warrants a separate bottling and limited release.
Is it worth the price? Yes, absolutely. You are buying history. You are buying part of the most valuable vineyard land in Australia, as rare as Romanee-Conti in Burgundy, both in reality beyond price or value because they will never be for sale at any price. The use of 100% French oak gives the wine as additional point of difference from Hill of Grace, in which American oak still plays a minor role. This to one side, the wine has superb colour, a racy, superfine palate of exceptional length and the balance that is endowed by that balance (or vice versa, it doesn't matter). Drink by 2040.