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Making remarkable wines since 1844.
Making remarkable wines
since 1844.
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2020 St Henri Shiraz

2020 St Henri Shiraz

The Australia Collection

2020 St Henri Shiraz

St Henri is a favorite among collectors with its proven style, elegant profile and aging potential. It is unusual amongst high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak.  In the 2020 release, explore a sweet and savory palate – fresh blueberry, exotic spice and olive brine. A classic St Henri.

Varietal
Shiraz
Shiraz
Vintage
2020
2020
Volume
750mL
750mL
Awards
19+/20 Points - Matthew Jukes
96 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
96 Points - Dave Brookes
95 Points - Tina Gellie
95 Points - Jamie Goode
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2020 St Henri Shiraz
$150.00
Price
$150.00
Log in for exclusive benefits
$1,800.00
Price
$1,800.00
Log in for exclusive benefits
Log in for exclusive benefits

This wine is imported from Australia. State import laws allow us to ship this wine to the following states: AK, CA, DC, FL, MA, MN, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OR, SC, TN and WV.

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The Australia Collection

2020 St Henri Shiraz

St Henri is a favorite among collectors with its proven style, elegant profile and aging potential. It is unusual amongst high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak.  In the 2020 release, explore a sweet and savory palate – fresh blueberry, exotic spice and olive brine. A classic St Henri.

2020 St Henri Shiraz
$150.00
Price
$150.00
Log in for exclusive benefits
$1,800.00
Price
$1,800.00
Log in for exclusive benefits
Log in for exclusive benefits

This wine is imported from Australia. State import laws allow us to ship this wine to the following states: AK, CA, DC, FL, MA, MN, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OR, SC, TN and WV.

Varietal
Shiraz
Shiraz
Vintage
2020
2020
Volume
750mL
750mL
Awards
19+/20 Points - Matthew Jukes
96 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
96 Points - Dave Brookes
95 Points - Tina Gellie
95 Points - Jamie Goode

Awards & Accolades

19+/20

Matthew Jukes

"This is an awesome and statuesque St Henri with commanding tannins and a glossy, succulent indulgent and luxurious feel throughout. It has incredible weight and stunning balance and ripeness. I worry that people will drink it the moment it arrives on their doorstep because the fruit is so darned luxurious, but I can imagine that it will run for decades such is the class on display here. Drink 2025 – 2050. 14.5% alc – 19+ points"

96

Andrew Caillard MW

"Deep crimson. Fragrant inky, blackberry, graphite aromas with hints of roasted walnut, spice. Complex and evolved with blackberry, dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, chinotto flavours fine loose knit lacy chalky firm tannins, and underlying graphite, walnut notes. Finishes claret firm and tight. A refined style with lovely complexity and mineral length. Should develop very well. 100% Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, 12 months maturation in large seasoned oak vats. Drink 2025 – 2040. 14.5% alc – 96 points"

96

Dave Brookes

"St Henri has always been one of my favourite Penfolds wines. A multiregional shiraz aged for 12 months in large, old oak vats, I was always enamored with its less percussive attributes and proven lineage of cellar worthiness. Crimson with pure notes of plum compote, cherry clafoutis, roasting meats, earth, spice, ironstone, mocha, pan juices and the fainest wisp of wintergreen. It's such a comforting wine, with its unobstructed view of fruit and vintage, finishing savoury with powdery tannin grip and a dusting of cocoa powder and coal dust. Lovely stuff. Drink 2023 – 2045. 14.5% alc – 96 points"

Taste Description

Taste Description

2020 St Henri Shiraz

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Colour

Garnet red with a dark purple core.

Nose

The fruit profile is a delight, oak playing no role in the aromatics. Shiraz, unadulterated! The descriptors need to be coaxed from the glass with a gentle swirl. Fruits of the forest are first to emerge, berry conserve, strawberry flan and rhubarb tart. There is a hit of confectionary, reminiscent of red glace cherries. Savoury notes include German Blutwurst spiced sausage, pan scrapings from roast lamb and salt cured beef with black peppercorns. Ferric notes of iron filings and whetstone swarf round out an impressive showing.

Palate

True to form, the palate is quite savoury. Japanese nori paper and olive brine offer a very morish umami nuance. Fresh blueberry and mulberry leaf anchor the core of the mid-palate. Exotic spices adding intrigue, Alleppey turmeric, toasted cumin, pimento.  The tannins are very tactile, comparable to Dutch cocoa. A classic St Henri that will reward extended time in the cellar.

Vintage conditions

Vintage Conditions

The 2019 calendar year was the driest on record in the Barossa Valley, while the Clare Valley had the driest winter in 120 years. Clare Valley and Barossa Valley experienced frosts in September that also reduced yields. October was windy in Clare Valley which challenged fruit-set. The beginning of summer was marked by a state-wide heatwave. Cooler conditions in January and February provided some much welcome relief. McLaren Vale had above average rainfall in February, which ensured the vines were able to finish the remainder of the season in good shape. Bunch weights and berry numbers were low across the three regions with yields significantly below average. As is often the case, adversity and low yields can produce outstanding quality, and 2020 was no exception.

The Story of St Henri

The first vintage of St Henri – then Auldana Cellars St Henri Claret – was produced in 1888, beginning one of the most famous and enduring names in Australian wine. It was likely named after Auldana’s winemaker Léon Edmond Mazure’s son Henri or his wife, Philomine Henriette. The wine immediately enjoyed success, winning the Championship Cup for Best Claret in Australia at the Adelaide Wine Show in 1890 and then again as a joint winner in 1891. The St Henri label disappeared somewhere around the beginning of World War 1. It was revived by Senior Red Winemaker John Davoren at Penfolds in 1953 to celebrate the centenary of Auldana Cellars. The 1957 vintage is officially recognised as the first St Henri commercial release under the Penfolds name. It gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood.

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