Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz 2012
-
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Shiraz St Henri is very impressive with its elegant, sophisticated and well-crafted expression of this superb vintage. As always, there is no new oak employed here, simply 50+ year old large oak vats. This vintage has a dollop (3%) Cabernet Sauvignon, contributing a lovely cassis lift to the heady perfume. Deep garnet-purple colored, it displays a gorgeous nose of commendable purity and intensity with notes of red and blackcurrants, freshly crushed blackberries, menthol, cinnamon stick, bacon fat and cloves. Rich and already expressive on the palate, it is nonetheless built for the long haul with firm, ripe and grainy tannins carrying the fruit to a long and layered finish. This should be a long-lived St Henri that should cellar gracefully for at least 2 decades.
Rating: 96+
Other Vintages
2019-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Companion
Australian Wine -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
- Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine &
-
Spectator
Wine
Penfolds has been producing remarkable wines since 1844 and indisputably led the development of Australian fine wine in the modern era. The introduction of Penfolds Grange in 1951 forever changed the landscape of Australian fine wine. Since then a series of stand-out wines both white and red have been released under the Penfolds masthead.
Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker and only the 4th custodian of Grange, relishes the opportunity to bring Penfolds to the world stage and is an enthusiastic ambassador and natural educator. Penfolds came to the attention of the US market when 1990 Grange was Wine Spectator’s ‘Wine of the Year’. Since then, Penfolds Grange has become one of the most collectable wines of the world and was honored to grace the front cover, once again, of Wine Spectator, with declarations of Grange as Australia’s Icon.
Though Syrah originated in the Rhône Valley of France, Australia is home to the oldest Syrah (called Shiraz here) vines on the planet. Found in Australia’s Barossa Valley, where phylloxera has never threated viticulture, these ancient vines are between 140 to 175 years old!
Having brought fame and merit to the country’s wine scene since the early 1950s, namely via the debut of Penfolds Grange, today Syrah (Shiraz) claims rank as the most widely planted grape in Australia. In fact, the amount of land dedicated to Shiraz in Australia is now almost equivalent to what it is in France. Australian Shiraz has its own personality with flavors and aromas of intense blackberry, fruitcake, menthol, tobacco leaf and umami. Conveniently one can find great Australian Shiraz at a variety of price points but the very best will be dense, gloriously complex and capable of long aging.