2013 St Henri Shiraz
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Tasting notes
Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Potent, smoke-accented aromas of ripe dark fruits, candied licorice, coconut and violet are energized by a building smoky element. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated blueberry, cassis, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors along with suggestions of clove and cola. The floral quality repeats emphatically on an extremely long, sweet finish that's framed by velvety, harmonious tannins.
Critic scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
This 2013 Shiraz St Henri follows in the blockbuster footsteps of the 2010 and 2012. The blend is 96% Shiraz with 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and the fruit sources are far and wide, including a real mix of terroirs: McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Padthaway and Port Lincoln. It spent 12 months in 50+-year-old casks. Deep garnet-purple colored, the youthfully reticent nose is complex, offering loam, aged meat, licorice, tar, scorched earth, fenugreek and cloves over a cherry cordial, blueberry pie and dried mulberries core. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals lovely, understated elegance and depth with a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and many fruit and spice layers emerging on the finish. This is one for the long-long haul and, at a fraction of the price of Grange, should be where the smart money goes for stocking the cellar.
‘Saint on-ree.’ 96% Shiraz, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Padthaway and Port Lincoln. Acidity 6.7 g/l, pH 3.62. 12 months in ancient 1,460-litre oak vats, some of which are more than 50 years old. Bin 2 gets a few of these old vats. Balsam on the nose. Very opulent fruit on the palate. An edge of powerful ripeness. The French tasters shown this yesterday thought there had to be some residual sugar in this. Very satisfying, even in this vintage that is not that celebrated. Maybe at the end there’s just a little austerity. Lots of chewiness. A little less broad than the Magill. (JR)
This 2013 Shiraz St Henri follows in the blockbuster footsteps of the 2010 and 2012. The blend is 96% Shiraz with 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and the fruit sources are far and wide, including a real mix of terroirs: McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Padthaway and Port Lincoln. It spent 12 months in 50+-year-old casks. Deep garnet-purple colored, the youthfully reticent nose is complex, offering loam, aged meat, licorice, tar, scorched earth, fenugreek and cloves over a cherry cordial, blueberry pie and dried mulberries core. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals lovely, understated elegance and depth with a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and many fruit and spice layers emerging on the finish. This is one for the long-long haul and, at a fraction of the price of Grange, should be where the smart money goes for stocking the cellar. Oct 2016, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Penfolds is Australia’s most famous wine producer, known best for their iconic top wine, Grange. First produced commercially in 1952, Grange has since gone on to become one of the world’s most famous fine wines. In 2001, the wine was listed as an Australian heritage icon.