Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER enjoys a selection of “big” wines from Hentley Farm, in the Barossa Valley.

It’s an edict of philosophy that knowing things end makes them special, especially when it comes to mortality. 

So, these thoughts coalesce as we get older and make you reach out for life with both hands, including embracing the enjoyment of good wine.

The end of the Friday night wine-tasting sessions at the Hyatt provoked these thoughts for these events were immersive and satisfying, providing a regular source of entertainment in analysing and enjoying the fruits of the labour of certain winemakers.

The last of these was from South Australia, Hentley Farm, another winery represented by Ron Molloy, who was again the wrangler on the night. Hentley Farm Wines is a Halliday five-star rated winery. It’s located in the Barossa Valley.

As a precursor to this tasting, a mate had brought to dinner the previous Sunday a 2022 Hentley Farm Cabernet Sauvignon that we found to be a wine that needed more time, with blackcurrant dominant on the palate, but also with subtle tones of mint and even lavender.

The tannins were a little grainy so the wine’s youth was on display although it was a pleasant drink with the evening meal of roast chicken.

The Friday tasting began with an unusual sparkling: the 2024 Blanc de Noir, a blend of pinot noir (55 per cent) and grenache (45 per cent). It has a very light pink colour. On the nose was a sweet element that was reminiscent of a musk lolly mixed with strawberry. On the finish there were notes of green apple and red apple peel. Very different.

A young 2025 Eden Valley Riesling followed. This is a low-alcohol (11 per cent), fresh wine with a bright acidity that would be an ideal drink on a hot day with smoked chicken salad. Its lemony and slightly herbaceous finish was pleasant and this wine will only get more complex as it ages.

The third wine, The Stray, was a grenache (63 per cent), shiraz (35 per cent) blend with a small element of zinfandel (2 per cent). It is a deep red colour, with a raspberry and dark cherry bouquet.

It had a savoury finish that Ron and I debated: I suggested that it was a little like dried oregano, but in the end doffed my cap to his conclusion of sage.

The tannins in this wine were not like the cabernet sauvignon I mentioned earlier but velvety. This is a very drinkable, big Barossa red with a nudge under 15 per cent alcohol by volume. It was my favourite of the night, a masterful blend. 

As you would expect from a Barossa winery, there were two shirazes on offer. The first was 100 per cent shiraz, 2024. 

My mate Ian, who accompanied me on the night, was by this point becoming metaphoric: he described this wine as a well-muscled teenager. Again it’s a big red wine that has a lovely plum nose and, in the already complex mix, a blackcurrant flavour on finish. This intensity of flavour will only become more pronounced with age.

The final offering was a shiraz (97 per cent) viognier (3 per cent), the Beauty Shiraz 2022. This is another big Barossa red with a nose of white flowers and anise. It has a palate that shows the sage that Ron and I argued about earlier, mixed with blueberries. The tannins are soft and this wine demonstrates the amazing result of blending even a small amount of viognier with shiraz. 

And finally, a joke about endings and renewals: Why did Romans have such a hard time with relationships? Because their X was always a 10. 

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