HENTLEY FARM

Set on the red-brown soils of the western Barossa Valley, Hentley Farm founders Keith and Alison Hentschke acquired the 150 acre vineyard and mixed farming property in the 1990s. Following extensive research to find out where the best red wine grapes in the Barossa Valley were being produced, their studies led them towards the rich red soils of the Seppeltsfield area. Keith used an old soil map from the 1950s to strategically locate the best parcels of land and after a number of years acquired Hentley Farm. Hentley Fram believes that it is a truly special property, hand-picked by their founder Keith Hentschke for its soil quality and geographical contours. For them, it’s all about listening to the land and planting the right vines in the right place, in the right way.

The vineyards contain the following varietals: Shiraz (70%), Grenache (17%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Zinfandel (2%), and a small parcel of Viognier (1%). Blocks were carefully selected for orientation and aspect with different clonal material used according to suitability. The depth and complexity of the wines arises from the great variety of terroirs at Hentley Farm, created by the diversity within the 150 acre estate’s east and west facing slopes and altitude variances. Subsoils of tightly structured friable clay offer huge water holding potential, offering respite for our vines in times of low rainfall. They acknowledge their custodial responsibility for the land, so vines are nurtured to their optimum potential through sound environmental practices that support agricultural sustainability and vineyard biodiversity. At Hentley Farm they use a dry-land farming strategy, with an emphasis on keeping the vine and earth in a natural state of balance with minimal interference.