St Henri Shiraz 2018
Penfolds
St Henri Shiraz 2018
Overview
Overview
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. Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters with age. It is matured in an assortment of old large vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of cabernet may sneak into the blend, the focal point for St Henri remains shiraz.
| Varietal | Shiraz |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Country | Australia |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
| Alc/Vol | 14.5% |
| Peak Drinking | Now-2055 |
Awards and Accolades
Awards and Accolades
| 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 |
| 97 Points | Tyson Stelzer |
| 93 Points | David Sly - Decanter |
| 19.5 Points | Matthew Jukes |
Ken Gargett
"For me, this is the wine of the entire release. An extraordinarily good St Henri and I could not encourage winelovers to fill their cellars with this wine more strongly. This will comfortably sit with 2010 and 2012 and I have no doubt that in years to come, it will be considered as one of the greatest St Henri’s ever made. It is that good. This is perfectly structured. Balance is the key. The balance allows the wine to exhibit Audrey Hepburn elegance and Arnie S power. This has decades ahead. A great St Henri. Could this mean something truly special awaits us next year when the 2018 Grange is unveiled?"
Andrew Caillard MW
" A beautiful St Henri vintage. Gorgeously seductive blackberry, mulberry, dark cherry, sweet plum aromas with dark chocolate, graphite, roasted walnut notes. Inky and sinuous palate with plentiful ripe blackberry, mulberry fruits, fine looseknit chalky tannins, superb mid-palate viscosity and underlying chinotto, roasted walnut notes. One of the great St Henri vintages in recent times, based on the length and breadth of South Australian vineyards. "
JamesSuckling.com
" A great St. Henri and, although multi-regional, this is very much a wine that speaks of the Barossa Valley, with aromas of ripe blackberries and red plums that are so fresh, together with tobacco, young-leather, earth, chocolate, coal-smoke and tarry accents. Effortless depth on the palate with summer berries, framed in fine, alabaster-like tannins that are underscored with discreet power. So long and captivating. A blend of Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Port Lincoln, Robe, Padthaway, Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills. Drink over the next decade or more. "
Taste Description
Taste Description
Nose
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.
Flavours and Palate
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?
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Vintage Conditions
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.
The Penfolds Team
Key to the success of Penfolds has been a lineage of visionary winemakers. There have only ever been four Chief Winemakers at the helm of Penfolds – Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, each a custodian of a rich winemaking tradition that goes back for more than 170 years.
Our current Penfolds winemaking team has more than 100 years between them as Penfolds winemakers. They are constantly refining and improving their work, whilst honouring the winemaking techniques of their predecessors.