ASO 90th Anniversary Bottling

Thank you for purchasing the limited museum release created by our Major Partners at Hentley Farm in celebration of the ASO’s 90th Anniversary. As you open and enjoy this very special wine our Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth has paired the perfect piece of music to listen to as you sip.

About the Music

Music and wine share many qualities, and though the experience they offer is specific, what that is can be hard to define. Both music and wine are intelligible, yet untranslatable. Whether one is reading programme notes or tasting notes, the essence remains elusive.

Listening to the third movement of Brahms’ Third Symphony whilst drinking a glass of Hentley Farm Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon is to enjoy in both a complexity that is never cluttered, and admire layers of expression in which everything lies in perfect harmony with itself. There is a sense that our pleasure is invited not demanded. And in response, we relish a richness of texture that is smooth and dignified, an intensity of expression that is nevertheless relaxing, and a structure that is as balanced as it is surprising.

Nowadays confidence and elegance are rarely combined. Yet true confidence does not shout. Bold does not need to be brash. In fact, true success is to be sincere in one’s expression, open to nuance, and willing to discover layers of meaning that do not see contradictions where none exists. There is no doubt that Brahms would have been thrilled to be associated with these qualities. And he would have loved the wine too!

Mark Wigglesworth, ASO Chief Conductor

About the Wine

Wine and music have long been kindred expressions of creativity, each shaping and reflecting the human experience over centuries. At their heart, both exist to bring people together, creating moments of connection and shared enjoyment.

Our partnership with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra is an inspired one. In celebrating their 90th anniversary, we sought to offer a wine that echoes the character of an orchestra: layered, expressive and a blend of many parts. It felt only fitting to present a quintessential blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from our iconic Seppeltsfield vineyard. We are also fortunate to be able to share a small parcel of our carefully cellared 2017 vintage, that has evolved into a beautifully integrated and balanced wine..

The 2017 vintage is a blend of 57% Shiraz and 43% Cabernet Sauvignon from four estate blocks. Thirty-five percent was matured in new French oak, with the remaining balance in seasoned oak over 20 months. The wine reveals layers of blue and red fruits, complemented by notes of milk chocolate, liquorice, and graphite. With time in bottle, it has settled into a seamless, velvety textured wine that is drinking perfectly now and will continue to evolve gracefully over the next five to seven years.

Stuart Mosman, Chief Operating Officer, Hentley Farm