St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual amongst high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. Released for the first time by Penfolds in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957), it gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood. Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce.
| Varietal
Shiraz
|
Shiraz |
|---|---|
| Vintage
2018
|
2018 |
| Volume
750mL
|
750mL |
| 99 Points - Andrew Caillard MW |
| 99 Points - Ken Gargett - World of Fine Wine Magazine |
| 99 Points - Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com |
| 97 Points - James Halliday |
| 97 Points - Huon Hooke |
A wine that can proudly grace any dinner table, in any establishment, anywhere.
–Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker
St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual amongst high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. Released for the first time by Penfolds in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957), it gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood. Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce.
| Varietal
Shiraz
|
Shiraz |
|---|---|
| Vintage
2018
|
2018 |
| Volume
750mL
|
750mL |
| 99 Points - Andrew Caillard MW |
| 99 Points - Ken Gargett - World of Fine Wine Magazine |
| 99 Points - Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com |
| 97 Points - James Halliday |
| 97 Points - Huon Hooke |
The veil long clasped by St Henri is aromatically lifted. A 2018 St Henri cork is extracted revealing:
Clinically: The elution of flinty pencil and cordite.
Appetisingly: Warmed black olive - mustardy spiced wild rocket, haloumi.
Savoury: Scents of a parsley salad, eggplant, capers.
Exotically: Freshly sliced fig and cut-rhubarb laced with spices and nuts.
Stone fruits and charcuterie savouries abound.
Fresh acidity abetted by the cut-rhubarb noted aromatically above, and liquorice root.
Toasted pumpkin seed flavours, tannin-dry yet not puckering.
Mouth-watering, finely etched tannins ‘mist up’ the palate spectrum – a tactile fog!
Oak – where art thou?
Relatively dry conditions coupled with near long-term winter and spring temperatures indicated an early start to the growing season. However, a spell of cold weather in November slowed vine phenology. Warm and sunny weather prevailed throughout most of spring, providing optimal conditions for flowering and fruit-set. The Barossa Valley experienced 22 days of temperature greater than 35°C in summer, while McLaren Vale experienced 17 days greater than 35°C. This warm and dry pattern continued in Clare Valley throughout the growing season with only one significant rain event (30mm) in early December. Robe and Padthaway also had warm, dry growing seasons by regional standards. Late flowering and the delayed onset of veraison throughout the South-East slowed harvest by a few weeks. Our grower vineyard in Port Lincoln enjoyed a near perfect season, with the cool maritime breezes providing optimal conditions for ripening. The warm, dry weather carried into autumn, setting up an Indian summer with favourable conditions for ripening grapes. A fine vintage for all Penfolds South Australian growing regions.
| wine analysis
Alc/Vol: 14.5%
|
Alc/Vol: 14.5% |
|---|
The first vintage of St Henri – then Auldana Cellars St Henri Claret – was produced in 1888, beginning one of the most famous and enduring names in Australian wine. It was likely named after Auldana’s winemaker Léon Edmond Mazure’s son Henri or his wife, Philomine Henriette. The wine immediately enjoyed success, winning the Championship Cup for Best Claret in Australia at the Adelaide Wine Show in 1890 and then again as a joint winner in 1891. The St Henri label disappeared somewhere around the beginning of World War 1. It was revived by Senior Red Winemaker John Davoren at Penfolds in 1953 to celebrate the centenary of Auldana Cellars. The 1957 vintage is officially recognised as the first St Henri commercial release under the Penfolds name. It gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood.
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