2018 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri (750ml)

Shiraz from South Australia, Australia

B-21 Top Recommendation
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“This iron fist in a velvet glove is immensely impressive.”

Angus Hughson, Vinous

Considered the complementary "twin" to the Grange in Penfolds' high end portfolio, the powerful 99 pt. 2019 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri layers richly aromatic, dense, dark fruit with elegant, silky tannins and a lingering, lush finish that “makes you want to dive in for more” according to Decanter’s David Sly, an elegant, full-bodied expression of Shiraz sharing the Grange’s ability to age without the influence of new oak that's certain to thrill Aussie collectors and lovers of big bold Syrah at an equally thrilling value price.

With a history that predates Penfolds, St. Henri was originally a Claret style red made in the 19th century by the Auldana Winery, its vineyards located adjacent to the Magill Estate, Penfold’s original property near Adelaide. At the same time Penfolds winemaker Max Schubert was pioneering the use of French oak barrels in Australia while creating Grange in the 1950’s, another Penfolds winemaker at the time named John Deveran was tasked with recreating a Bordeaux style blend after Penfolds purchased the Auldana property, transitioning St. Henri over the next decades to a Shiraz-dominant wine. Sourced from vineyards throughout South Australia including McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley in Penfold’s multi-regional style, the luxurious and understated 2019 Penfolds St. Henri was aged for 12 months in large, seasoned oak vats, yielding a deeply structured Shiraz with minimal oak character built for decades of evolution, its luscious concentrated fruit and rich complexity summed up as “gorgeous” by the Wine Advocate’s Erin Larkin.

As the Wine Spectator’s Harvey Steiman noted, “The sneaky little secret that so many savvy Australian wine collectors know is that, yes, St. Henri can age as long as Grange does,” this offer for the compelling 99 pt. 2019 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri representing a terrific opportunity for collectors of age worthy Aussie Shiraz to stock up at a fraction of the price of the higher profile Grange and enjoy it often over the next decades

99JS

97WA

97AWC

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. Screw cap.

99 points, James Suckling (Feb 2022)

The 2018 St Henri Shiraz is a terrific effort, perhaps rivaling the top-flight wines under this label in 1976 and 1986. Remarkably fine and silky in texture yet simultaneously dense and concentrated, it showcases the amazing fruit harvested in 2018. Boysenberry, mulberry and mocha shadings all swirl together effortlessly in a whorl of full-bodied elegance, finishing long and effortless. Mainly Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, it includes smaller amounts of fruit from Port Lincoln, Robe, Padthaway, Clare Valley and the Adelaide Hills, all aged 12 months in large old wooden vats.

97 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Jul 2021)

Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Port Lincoln, Robe, Padthaway, Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills fruit. Matured 12 months in 50+yo vats. The effortless, unassuming self-assuredness of St Henri holds a unique and beloved place in the assemblage of Penfolds heroes, and 2018 marks a particularly special release. Accomplished, spicy, glossy black fruits of grand integrity unfold to magnificent effect in the glass, contrasting a fine-boned frame of rigid yet graceful, powder-fine tannins that carry a finish of long-lingering line and alluring appeal. I look forward to spectating from the sidelines as its fruit slowly unfurls over the decades to come. An adorable St Henri that exemplifies all that this label stands for.

97 points, Tyson Stelzer, Halliday Wine Companion (Aug 2021)

Alcohol By Volume: 14.5%

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$119.99

2 bottles in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.

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