2022 Hentley Farm Clos Otto Shiraz 750ml

Overview

Hentley Farm’s flagship Clos Otto Shiraz is a powerful yet polished expression of its exceptionally low-yielding Barossa Valley vineyard. The 2022 carries impressive concentration without sacrificing freshness or poise, layering dark plum and blackberry with spice, earthy minerality and finely structured tannins. An outstanding cellar release, it received 97 points from both Stuart Knox and Halliday Wine Companion, alongside 96 points from Robert Parker Wine Advocate.

Vineyard

The Clos Otto block was acquired by Hentley Farm in 2004. Originally planted by former owner Otto Kasper using a cutting from an ageing and closely guarded Shiraz clone, the vineyard is renowned for exceptionally low yields and intensely concentrated fruit. Clos Otto has since become the flagship wine of the Hentley Farm portfolio.

Winemaking

Clos Otto Shiraz is matured for 22 months in French oak barrels, approximately 50% of which are new, building structure and complexity around the vineyard’s concentrated Shiraz fruit.

Critic Reviews

97 Points — Stuart Knox, The Real Review
“Inky at the core, glass-staining ruby at the rim. Ripe mulberry, rose petal and musk aromas. A big boy, loaded with powerful and dense fruit that are remarkable in the power yet sit in a more red than black fruit frame, lifted with subtle florals and sweet spices. An intriguing wine, there is so much complexity and power here but gentle acidity offers a lift that brings a surprising airiness to it. As it fills to the back, dark minerality, meaty and savoury notes build along with a firming of the gravelly tannic grip. Every return to the glass shows another facet to the layers. A wine to be savoured as it unfurls in the glass.”
Tasted 3 February 2025

97 Points — Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
“The 2021 vintage of this wine was an absolute belter and the 2022 carries on in fine form. It's classic Barossa for sure; all dark plum, blackberry, fruitcake spice and earthy goodness. But there is a beautiful contemporary gloss to the fruit here with fine, ferrous tannins, layers and layers of spice and a bright, minerally cadence pushing the wine forward. Power with buoyancy and plenty of cellaring potential – a win all-around. Nice one.”
Published 9 December 2024

96 Points — Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Tasted April 2025. Recommended drinking window: 2025–2037.

About Hentley Farm

Hentley Farm is based in Seppeltsfield in South Australia’s Barossa Valley. Founders Keith and Alison Hentschke purchased the original 61-hectare property in the 1990s and released their first Hentley Farm wines in 2002. The estate has built its reputation around high-quality, single-block wines, with Shiraz at the heart of both its vineyards and portfolio.

The estate expanded in 2004 with the acquisition of the Clos Otto block, whose Shiraz has become Hentley Farm’s flagship wine. The broader estate vineyards are predominantly planted to Shiraz, with clay-rich soils providing valuable water retention through the Barossa Valley’s extended periods of low rainfall.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2022
• Producer: Hentley Farm
• Country: Australia
• Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
• Vineyard: Clos Otto
• Grape Variety: Shiraz
• Alcohol: 15%
• Sweetness: Dry
• Maturation: 22 months in French oak
• Oak: Approximately 50% new French oak
• Drinking Window: 2025–2045