x
  • Country ranking ?

    92
  • Producer ranking ?

    58
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    from 2020
  • Food Pairing

    Lamb

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

Close

The Story

St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of Shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual among high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. It was created in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957) and gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood. Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or co...

Close

Wine Information

Vintage 2014/ Above-average winter and early spring rainfall offered the vines in South Australia healthy soil moisture profiles for the growing season. Late spring and summer were dry and warm with significant heat records being set. Warm weather prevailed during summer and throughout veraison, allowing grapes to develop evenly and with good intensity. 

The warm conditions came to an abrupt halt in mid-February with significant rainfall th...

Close

Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

Be the first one to make a 20s tasting note!

Written Notes

For me, the year Penfold's released their 2010 St Henri saw it as the pick of the entire catalogue. This wine is the best St Henri since then and has nearly pulled off the same trick. An absolutely stonking wine (stonking being a good thing). Cassis, vanillin and chocolate notes, black cherries. So alluring, so aromatic. Supple and complex. Fine satiny tannins. Immaculately balanced. Everything is so well handled, this is the complete wine. Terrific length. What a really good wine!

Score: 97/100

Best drinking: be in no hurry. This will be superb for several decades.

Alc: 14.5%

  • 97p

“Another vintage that classically reaffirms St Henri DNA – it is not a Bin, nor RWT nor Grange-like. A unique shiraz proposition that harks back to the late-1800’s. Quality that doesn’t date.”

“Recommend to decant this vintage – no ifs or buts! It will maketh the wine and reward your effort. Please.”

Lifted, racy. Rhône-ish at rst, South Australian upon sitting.
Bountiful aromatics ascend – initially redcurrant, cranberry, Christmas cake mix, and then the liberation of citrus (lime peel), fennel and olive. Middle Eastern spices also present – sweet, not savoury (incl. cinnamon, nutmeg). And, not unexpected, something not present - oak!

Svelte. Nevertheless, propels assertive tannins that build – sheeted/layered in con guration. To please all tastes - the sweet – zabaglione, custard, raw chocolate (cocoa); and the savoury – (bone) marrow, star anise.

Lingers, and certainly leaves a most appealing ‘residual’ impression for quite some time after ingestion.

Deep crimson. Lovely intense and fragrant wine with blackberry, cassis, graphite, chinotto herb garden aromas. Sinuous palate with deep blackberry, cassis fruits, fine looseknit chalky yet vigorous tannins, and beautiful waxy polish roasted walnut complexity. Finishes grainy firm with lovely fruit persistency and mineral length. A very fine St Henri with lovely concentration, sweet fruitiness and drive. Should develop more interest and character with time. Leave it for a while. 2020 - 2035

  • 95p
Load more notes

Information

Origin

Magill, South Australia

Other wines from this producer

50-Year-Old Rare Tawny Series 3

802-A Superblend

802-B Superblend

Bin 128 Shiraz

Bin 149 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley & South Australia

Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz

Bin 170 Kalimna Shiraz

Bin 19A Reserve Bin Chardonnay

Bin 20A Reserve Bin Chardonnay

Bin 21 Grenache

Bin 23 Pinot Noir

Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvedre

Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz

Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon

Bin 51 Riesling

Bin 62

Bin 620

Bin 798 RWT Shiraz

Bin 7 Coonawarra Cabernet Kalimna Shiraz

Bin 820

Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz

Bin 90 A

Bin 920 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz

Bin 98 Quantum Cabernet Sauvignon

Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon

Block 42 Kalimna Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Cellar Reserve Fiano

Cellar Reserve Pinot Noir

Cellar Reserve Sangiovese

Cellar Reserve Tempranillo

CWT Cabernet Sauvignon Marselan, Shangri-La & Ningxia

FWT 585 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Petit Verdot

g3

g4

g5

Grange Hermitage

Howell Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc

Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Koonunga Hill Cabernet Shiraz

Koonunga Hill Chardonnay

Magill Estate Shiraz

Max's Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 138 GMS

Penfolds Bin 138 Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 169

Penfolds Bin 23 Pinot Noir

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 311

Penfolds Bin 407

Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling

Penfolds Bin 600 Cabernet Shiraz, California

Penfolds Bin 60A Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Penfolds Bin 707

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon

Penfolds Bluestone Grand Tawny

Penfolds Grandfather's Tawny

Penfolds Great Grandfather's Tawny

Penfolds II Dourthe x Penfolds Cabernet Shiraz Merlot

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

Penfolds Reserve Bin 09A Chardonnay

Penfolds RWT

Penfolds V

QoN

Rawson's Retreat

Rawson's Retreat Bin 202 Riesling

Rawson's Retreat Merlot

Rawson's Retreat Riesling

Rawson's Retreat Shiraz Cabernet

Reserve Bin 17A Chardonnay

Reserve Bin 5A

Reserve Bin A

Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay

RWT Shiraz

Special BIN 111A Shiraz

Thienot x Penfolds Blanc de Blancs Lot 2-175

Thienot x Penfolds Blanc de Noirs Lot 3-175

Thienot x Penfolds Brut Vintage Lot 1-175

Thomas Hyland Adelaide Hills Chardonnay

Thomas Hyland Sauvignon Blanc

'V' Chardonnay

Vintage Fortified

Yattarna Chardonnay

Inside Information

“Another vintage that classically reaffirms St Henri DNA – it is not a Bin, nor RWT nor Grange-like. A unique shiraz proposition that harks back to the late-1800’s. Quality that doesn’t date.”

“Recommend to decant this vintage – no ifs or buts! It will maketh the wine and reward your effort.”

Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker

 

Colour
Deep garnet.

Nose
Lifted, racy. Rhône-ish at first, South Australian upon sitting.
Bountiful aromatics ascend – initially redcurrant, cranberry, Christmas cake mix, and then the liberation of citrus (lime peel), fennel and olive.
Middle Eastern spices also present – sweet, not savoury (incl. cinnamon, nutmeg). And, not unexpected, something not present - oak! 

Palate
Svelte. Nevertheless, propels assertive tannins that build – sheeted/layered in configuration.
To please all tastes - the sweet – zabaglione, custard, raw chocolate (cocoa); and the savoury – (bone) marrow, star anise.
Lingers, and certainly leaves a most appealing ‘residual’ impression for quite some time after ingestion.

Read more
Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 

Insight Member

 
Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

Insight Member

  Register