2002 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri

Deep ruby. Powerful cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, tobacco and Asian spices on the nose, with lovely floral accents. Lush, superconcentrated and remarkably deep, showing an almost candied sweetness to the dark berry flavors, along with fruitcake and licorice notes. This is sweeter than any vintage of St. Henri I've seen to this point. Finishes with supple tannins and superb length. In the current batch of Penfolds releases, this one gives the new Grange some stiff competition.

A classic effort, the 2002 Shiraz St. Henri (91% Shiraz and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon) was aged 14 months in old 1,460 liter vats. First introduced in 1953, the St. Henri offering is considered to be a quintessential old Southern Australian-styled red. The 2002 was sourced from the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, and the Fleurieu Peninsula. This stunningly rich, distinctive Shiraz offers up scents of Provencal herbs, bay leaves, blackberries, black currants, new saddle leather, and loads of meaty characteristics. Rich, texturally opulent, and soft, this heady offering should drink well for 10-12 years. It is also a very good bargain in the scheme of Penfolds’ pricing. Robert Parker, Oct 2006