Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Supple, with nubby tannins around a gorgeous core of currant and pomegranate, the flavors floating easily into the long, expressive finish, hinting at green tea and guava as the finish rolls on serenely. Shows intensity without density, coming together seamlessly. Drink now through 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2009 St Henri Shiraz is slated for release on May 1, 2013. It is a little closed at the moment though reveals earthy aromas of warm berries, some mulberries and Chinese dried plums over notes of meat, black olive, coffee and tree bark. Richly concentrated and complex with layered, savory flavors, it is structured by firm, grainy tannins and is finishing long. It needs time to develop further. Drink it from 2015 to 2025+.
Rating: 93+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Because St. Henri is aged exclusively in large, mostly neutral oak vessels, it often requires more time to come around than Shiraz aged in barrel. The 2009 is tight and reticent on the nose, while showing hints of boysenberry, black olive and roasted meat on the palate. Full bodied, rich and firm in structure, with a long, amply textured finish, it needs a few years in the cellar, and should last at least through 2030.
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Wine & Spirits
Developed in the 1950's in parallel with Grange, St. Henri is a selection of Penfolds' best shiraz aged in large-format, older oak. This is a traditional style that emphasizes earthiness, its tannins chewy, its flavors taking on the meaty side of cherries. Supple and savory, this is built to age a decade or more.
Since 1844, Penfolds has been grounded in experimentation, curiosity and uncompromising quality. Their success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers. It began with Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold, the pioneers who dreamed big, inventing tonics, brandies, and fortified wines made from grapes and Australian sunshine. It continued with celebrated winemaking legends including Max Schubert, who pushed the development to extraordinary, bold new heights. It is this pioneering spirit and curiosity that still rings true after nearly two centuries, it is what has helped Penfolds become one of the most celebrated winemakers in the world today.
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.