Hentley Farm was established in 1997 by Keith and Alison Hentschke who had a single vision to craft exceptional single estate wines from Barossa Valley. They were told to ‘Head north west Barossa and look for the red/brown soil over limestone’. After years of searching and consultation with local winemakers and viticulturalist, they discovered a mixed farmed 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.
Keith’s experience and expertise as an agricultural scientist drove him to understand the land before planting could begin. He collaborated with three local viticulturalist and immediately set about digging 40 soil pits around the property. This highlighted the extreme diversity of the land and from here meticulous planning began 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. This individual treatment of the vines allows varietal diversity and ensures the highest quality grapes to craft distinctive wines reflective of the exceptional site.
Meticulous attention to detail continues in the winery with Head Winemaker Andrew Quin’s focus on crafting modern wines of traditional Barossa. 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.
Andrews approach to these wines is about thoughtful and minimal winemaking intervention – using a combination of traditional and modern techniques to craft wines of balance, power and elegance with the distinct Hentley Farm hallmarks of vibrancy, velvet silky tannins and intense flavour richness.
For more than twenty years, Hentley Farm has operated with strong sustainability practices at the core of all operations from vineyard to waste management. We believe we are caretakers of the land and it’s our responsibility to hand Hentley Farm to future generations in better condition than we found it.
A story of vineyard and vintage is told with every release of Hentley farm wines.