Powerful and concentrated, with dark cocoa and Szechuan peppercorn aromas that mingle with the core of fig paste, plum and black cherry flavors. Shows a freshness to the fruit, but plenty of details gain momentum on the finish. The velvety tannins never get in the way. Drink now through 2039. 564 cases imported.
Opaque, bright-rimmed purple. Intense blackcurrant, cherry pie, pipe tobacco and incense aromas are lifted by suave lavender and smoky mineral flourishes. Stains the palate with bitter cherry, cassis and fruitcake flavors that are braced by a core of zesty acidity and given a spicy edge by a snap of black pepper. Shows outstanding definition and impressive depth and finishes extremely long, with powerful dark fruit thrust, smooth, slow-mounting tannins and a whiplash of candied violet.
A very silky and approachable edition with a fresh, leathery edge, ahead of mainly redder fruit, pastry, cedar, leaves and a dried eucalyptus-leaf note. The palate is long, silky and supple with a succulent array of redder fruit and blackberry notes. Super primary and elegant. This is a young pup, nicely proportioned but slightly simple for now. Give it plenty of time in the cellar. A blend of 93 per cent shiraz and seven per cent cabernet sauvignon, sourced from McLaren Vale, Robe, The Peninsulas, Barossa Valley, Wrattonbully, Adelaide Hills and Mt. Benson. Try from 2025.
Aged for 12 months in over 50-year-old large wooden vats, St. Henri shows refreshing little oak when compared to some of the brand's other premium reds. It's still unmistakably Penfolds, though: rich and polished. The nose is a downright pretty mix of sun-ripened blueberries, mocha, violets, black olives and touches of fresh eucalyptus leaves and Middle Eastern spices. There's power on the palate but elegance too. Silky with an even-handed grip of savory fine tannins, the fruit is ripe and plush and set up for aging. Drink now, with decanter and protein at hand, or cellar through 2029.
St Henri Shiraz is an atypical Penfolds icon, an echo of the so-called ‘Hidden Granges’ when Max Schubert was denied new oak by the Penfolds board. Matured for 12 months in large old oak vats, it’s a cross-regional blend of 93% Shiraz and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon from McLaren Vale, Robe, The Peninsulas, Wrattonbully, Adelaide Hills and Mt Benson. Its youthfully fine creme de mure perfume is complemented by spicy cardamom and cinnamon, notes of game, fruitcake, cherry and cassis. It has good concentration and seamless textural finesse, supported by a fine backbone of fresh acidity and a savoury finish with great ageing potential. It would suit darker game such as grouse, or even ostrich.
The 2015 Shiraz St. Henri needed plenty of air to shine (I followed this wine for three days) but is a rich, beautiful wine. Ripe black raspberries, incense, minty herbs, and liquid violet notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, layered, concentrated Shiraz that’s impeccably balanced. It doesn’t have the broad, multi-dimensional texture found in the 2016s but is classic, focused, and structured. Give bottles another 3-4 years, and it will keep for 10-15 years.
What happens when you take your top fruit and age it in large, old oak vats instead of new oak barrels? That was the question John Davoren raised in the 1950s, as a contemporary of Max Schubert, who was busy developing Grange. St. Henri is a historic Penfolds label now identified by Davoren’s distinctive style, and this 2015 has the clarity, density and tight kernel of blue-black fruit that’s identifiably St. Henri. It comes from a dry season with early flowering and an early harvest, and no heat waves in between. This is not a heady, chocolatey or generously fruit-forward shiraz. Instead, the structure is based on fruit tannins, with the blackness of iron and the saltiness of blood, a mineral edge that surrounds the fruit and holds it tight. Though it’s based on winemaking style rather than terroir, you might find that the austere, aristocratic St. Henri is to Grange as Chevalier-Montrachet is to Montrachet.
Black olive and plum notes form the base of the 2015 Shiraz St Henri, a wine that sees no new oak (it’s aged entirely in old foudres). This vintage includes 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, which gives a bit of lift and a leafy, floral note on the nose. It’s medium to full-bodied, with a firm, structured feel and ample tannins to ensure 20-plus years of longevity.
Winery Notes
Colour: Dark brick-red core, crimson on rim.
Nose: A wine that immediately invokes interest – its nose endearingly captivating/enticing/intriguing.
Fruits propelled from glass – black cherry, mulberry, blackcurrant, boysenberry … and more. A subliminal waft of star anise and savoury spices (not sweet) hover above. Palate: Instant delivery, demands attention. Engulfs palate ... ever so deftly. No intimidation. A pure-fruited retronasal continuum from the first sniff to the post-ingestion back-palate.
