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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 157 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by kfjincott on 4/2/2024 & rated 98 points: Still young with powerful tannins and fruit. Well balanced but and will drink well for years. Lovely drinking experience. (282 views) | | | Tasted by levinml on 3/17/2024 & rated 91 points: Still holding up, although I wouldn't wait any longer. Nice flavors and balance, but starting to take on a hair of pruniness. (227 views) | | | Tasted by GGLT on 3/3/2024 & rated 94 points: Tragedy, my last 2 bottles! Still drinking well and showing no signs of age. Do decant well before drinking. Enjoy! (417 views) | | | Tasted by fizz on 11/29/2023: Cork, barely stained.
Rich and dark appearance, and this follows on to the aromas and flavours. Dark fruits, dark chocolate, sweet spices, leather. Plush in the mouth, with velvety tannins. Shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. (687 views) | | | Tasted by GGLT on 7/6/2023 & rated 94 points: Lovely wine. Forget the suggested drinking window, this has years left. Decant well before drinking. (1217 views) | | | Tasted by CC-OZ on 7/6/2023 & rated 95 points: Wow…20 years and still holding strong. Must decant and wait for the fruit bomb. Lots of spice with refreshing acidity. Still years ahead. (1073 views) | | | Tasted by Redback on 2/19/2023: Rich, dark fruit. Somewhat porty but not an issue. (1422 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 12/22/2022: Supper with Jan group (McLeay Street Bistro, Potts Point): From magnum. Concentrated black fruits, a little almost tar, savoury spice, very slightly reductive notes lends a rubbery quality, slight pepper. Medium plus intensity acidity, tight wood and grape skin tannins, alcohol warmth is non intrusive, black hued fruits prove to be in the berry space, quite concentrated, still showing young and, perhaps, a little disjointed.
And this does improve over the night showing more blackberry, toast and sweet spice and the tannins a little more harmony with regard to the whole. (1553 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 9/25/2022 & rated 91 points: Pnp with steak. Still fairy rich dark fruit, some leather and tobacco. Tannins fully resolved. Medium length. Not a great match with steak in my eyes given the lack of structure and the excessive sweetness for my taste. Guessed 2010 vintage (1783 views) | | | Tasted by chadslater on 6/12/2022 & rated 92 points: Drank with tomahawk steaks. Would say this is near its peak - had it after the 1982 Grange - and it’s still got lashes of primary fruit there, not that many secondaries of tobacco and cigar. Black fruits, spices. An excellent wine and great value for it is (1790 views) | | | Tasted by Claret & CdP Gang on 11/4/2021 & rated 92 points: Served blind, dark, decanted for 1.5 hours, guessing Brunello or a Cdp, beautiful fragrant porty nose, powerful nose, rich but balanced in the mouth, wouldn’t have guessed new world, a Penfolds! (2434 views) | | | Tasted by peter.mancell@mfg.com.au on 10/15/2021 & rated 93 points: Still a very good vino.
Big dark fruit, strong tannin backbone and lovely texture. (2099 views) | | | Tasted by winebling on 8/15/2021 & rated 93 points: This is drinking wonderfully - beautiful wine. This would have to be my favourite Penfolds wine - drinking better now than it was in 2018 when I last had a bottle. But needs drinking up now, wouldn't cellar this any longer. (2288 views) | | | Tasted by Michael_Growder on 6/12/2021 flawed bottle: Sadly, past its prime. Plummy, overripe - not cork tainted though (cork was intact and in good shape). Decanted at least 90 mins before drinking, but was in trouble. Improved a little as it opened up, but still not good drinking. Have a few left, so fingers crossed they are ok! (2449 views) | | | Tasted by swiftr on 4/19/2021 & rated 94 points: A very fine bottle, almost fully mature with serious depth & complexity, but not at all dried out. Lovely nose, still just a touch of primary fruit at the sides of the tongue, to balance the secondary and beginning of tertiary flavours. Completely different from Grange, as intended. (2237 views) | | | Tasted by Rote Kappelle on 12/25/2020 & rated 94 points: In many ways this is my favourite Penfolds wine, partly because it has less oak than the rest of their reds (although I also like them, if in the mood). A dark, inky, brick-red that speaks of the power to come. On the nose, earth, dark plum, blackberry, high toned polished leather (sniff the boot!). This follows through on a dense, chewy palate that goes on forever. There is great intensity, yet it is mellow and is almost essence of Barossa Valley. Tannins are fully resolved and this wine is to be drunk now, preferably in very large volumes. I see no point in further cellaring, unless your bottles are under screw cap. Drink with people you like and women you want to seduce (the two are sometimes the same). (2403 views) | | | Tasted by kstoddard on 11/11/2020: Absolutely hate this wine (2116 views) | | | Tasted by mphatic on 10/25/2020: Cork, 14.5% alc. Dulled, dark purple red.
Decanted 2 hours. Ripe blackberry, cherry, deli meats, violets, coal, malt, and dried herbs. Star anise as a top note, with some slight alcohol lift. Complex; each sniff brings out something new.
A dense surge of fresh red fruit on the palate, that is only medium bodied. Fine mouthfeel. Fresh acidity. Very fine powdery tannins in perfect proportion to the fruit. Evolves significantly in the glass.
Opinion: Lovely, complex Shiraz. Give it air, as it appears quite blocky at first. Drinking well now, and could easily handle another 9 years. Though being under cork (of seemingly good quality), it’s a bit of a lottery from here. Try again in 2 years. (1301 views) | | | Tasted by swiftr on 9/10/2020 flawed bottle: Sadly this bottle was off—slightly rubbery and unpleasant, not at all like the excellent bottle I had last week. I have a few more and hope this was an anomaly. The cork seemed fine but perhaps a screw closure would have preserved the wine better. (1794 views) | | | Tasted by swiftr on 9/4/2020 & rated 94 points: Excellent mouth-filling fruit, with considerable depth and velvety tannins. Just as it should be. (1711 views) | | | Tasted by fizz on 8/30/2020: Cork. 14.5% alc.
Deep garnet. Dark berries fill the nose. Palate is medium to full. Berries, plum, dark chocolate. Rich yet elegant, with integrated oak and acids. Tannins are fine and restrained. Drink or hold. (1700 views) | | | Tasted by domco on 5/16/2020: Another birth year wine to celebrate Isaac’s graduation. A little flawed, as quite a bit of musty basement on the nose, but wasn’t enough to overpower and didn’t impact the taste. A lot of dark fruit, nice acidity to balance it out. Very tasty. Has a number of years ahead of it still. (1808 views) | | | Tasted by Rossodio on 4/26/2020 & rated 92 points: From a 375 mL bottle well cellared since purchase in 2009. At peak or really seeming very slightly past peak, this has blunted eucalyptus that is more prominent in younger aussie shiraz. The lifting of that curtain shows delicious syrah fruit underneath with a new world punchiness deftly combined with a sturdy yet unobtrusive structure. Tannins very fine-grained and mature at this point. A wonderful wine that impressed me greatly considering the $20 I paid for the 375 back when. Enjoy now or through 2024 if well-cellared in a 750. If a 375, enjoy now! (1670 views) | | | Tasted by jdbooth on 4/24/2020 & rated 93 points: An outstanding wine that I don't believe is in danger of imminent decline, at least for well-cellared bottles.
In my experience: decant not needed at this time. Consumed over two days with no degredation whatsoever.
Gorgeous fruit that doesn't seem to be in danger of drying out. Medium-long finish. Surprisingly full-bodied and rich, but well-balanced in terms of alcohol. Fruit not drying out at all. Dark ruby color.
Not sure this will improve further, but I think it has some years left. (1643 views) | | | Tasted by peter.mancell@mfg.com.au on 4/15/2020 & rated 91 points: Still good drinking but not what it was 4 years ago.
If you have any, time to enjoy while you can! (1603 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
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About Us
Australia's winemaking history of less than two hundred years is brief by European measures though, like Europe, punctuated by periods of extreme success and difficult times. From the earliest winemaking days Penfolds has figured prominently and few would argue the importance of Penfolds’ influence on Australia’s winemaking psyche.
Without the influence of Penfolds the modern Australian wine industry would look very different indeed. Sitting comfortably outside of fad and fashion, Penfolds has taken Australian wine to the world on a grand stage and forged a reputation for quality that is without peer.
Penfolds’ reputation for making wines of provenance and cellaring potential might suggest a mantle of tradition and formality is the preferred attire of a company with so much history to defend. But to label Penfolds as simply an established and conventional winemaker, would be to confuse tradition with consideration and to overlook the innovative spirit that has driven Penfolds since its foundation, and continues to find expression in modern times.
If there is anything traditional about Penfolds, it is the practice of constantly reviewing the wines it already does well, and continuously evolving and refining styles as vineyards mature and access to ever older and more varied vineyard sites improves.
Making The Best Possible Wine
At Penfolds, the role of the winemaker is to make the best possible wine within the constraints of each vintage. Penfolds’ house style emerged from a fortified-wine producing culture and evolved as a winemaking philosophy – a way of making wine – which has had a profound effect on the entire Australian wine industry.
The concept of multi-regional and vineyard blending, a feature of the Penfolds house style, is an amplification of the ‘all-round wine’. Without the constraints of a single vineyard, winemakers could choose the best possible fruit with the outstanding characteristics of each vineyard.
While American oak has played a central role in the development of Penfolds red wines, French oak has been increasingly used in the evolution of new wines – particularly RWT and Yattarna. Maturation in oak, which follows fermentation, is also key to the Penfolds house style.
The Penfolds approach to winemaking has percolated through the entire Australian wine industry over the last 50 years. The techniques employed in research and development of Penfolds wines are remarkable and many of the discoveries and innovations have had a lasting impact on winemaking thinking.
Winemakers
In Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, Penfolds has nurtured four of Australia's great winemakers. They have passed the Chief Winemaker’s baton of responsibility for crafting some of Australia's most iconic wines, down through the past six decades.
Joining Peter Gago in the Penfolds winemaking team are Senior Red Winemaker Steve Lienert, Senior White Winemaker Kym Schroeter, and Red Winemakers Andrew Baldwin, Adam Clay, Stephanie Dutton and Matt Woo - also the Penfolds Fortified Winemaker. All members of the Penfolds winemaking team ensure that Penfolds’ reputation for outstanding quality is upheld.
Vineyards
Barossa Valley
Penfolds draws fruit from a combined vineyard area of 618 hectares in the Barossa region of South Australia. The Barossa is about 70 kilometres north of Adelaide and in 1911 Penfolds established a winery at Nuriootpa, completed in time for the 1913 vintage. The Barossa region is known for its relatively low rainfall with many vineyards dry grown on single wire trellising.
Magill Estate
The historic and heritage-protected Magill Estate Vineyard was established in 1844 by Dr Christopher Rawson and Mary Penfold—just eight years after the foundation of Adelaide. It was originally known as the Grange Vineyard, named after their new homestead ‘The Grange’, a cottage which still stands intact amongst the vines.
Eden Valley
Joseph Gilbert planted the first vines in the Eden Valley in 1842 and since that time the region has become synonymous with producing elegant riesling and complex shiraz. While its name suggests a concave nature, Eden Valley is actually a wide ridge, situated east of the Barossa Valley with an altitude ranging from 440 – 550 metres.
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is located approximately 40km to the south of Adelaide, with the vineyards in the region located between 6 and 15 kilometres from the Gulf of St Vincent. The elevation ranges from 50 to 350 metres above sea level. Penfolds has company owned vineyards throughout the region, using the fruit as blending components for premium red wines such as Grange and Bin 389.
Coonawarra
Penfolds has had a long history with the Coonawarra region, dating back to their first vineyard purchase in 1960. It is one of the most famous red wine regions in Australia with weathered limestone terra rossa soils, relatively cool climate and overall water availability. Coonawarra has played a significant role in many of Penfolds' multi-regional wines as well as the single region wines such as Bin 128.
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion Winery Of The Year 2014: Penfolds
Penfolds is Australia’s foremost winemaker, with an unbroken line dating back to its establishment in 1844 when medical practitioner Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and wife Mary purchased ‘the delightfully situated and truly valuable of Mackgill … Comprising 500 acres (202 hectares) of the choicest land’. Here they built the house that still stands today, and within a few years had begun the winery and cellar on the site of today’s buildings at Magill Estate.
Mary took charge of winemaking, initially producing grenache prescribed by her husband as a tonic for anaemic patients. By 1870 she, son-in-law Thomas Hyland and cellar manager/winemaker Joseph Gillard had formed Penfolds & Co. With markets in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, their wine production was over one-third of South Australia’s total.
Growth continued unabated, and in 1945 Penfolds acquired the jewel of the Magill Vineyard, at that time the largest vineyard in South Australia. It now has 2100 hectares of vineyards, the largest share of Australia’s total. Two men came together in the 1950s to lay the foundation of Penfolds today: winemaker Max Schubert, and research chemist Ray Beckwith (who died shortly after his 100th birthday in 2012); indeed, their contribution transcended Penfolds to the entire Australian wine industry.
The architecture for the Penfolds wine portfolio of the twenty-first century was established in the 1960s, half a century ago. There has been growth, both in the range of labels and their price points, but it has been cleverly – indeed sensitively – managed; demand-driven growth has been achieved without any quality compromise whatsoever.
There is no possibility that the pre-eminence of Penfolds will ever be challenged by any other Australian wine business. Equally certain is that the Penfolds brand value will continue to gain ground on the world stage of all consumable products. If proof be needed, the overall quality of the wines in this Wine Companion is the best Penfolds has ever presented to the markets of the globe.
Author: James Halliday Jul 2013Penfolds Shiraz St. HenriThe Rewards of Patience (7th Edition)
Vintage Label Shiraz Cabernet
2011 St Henri Shiraz 100%
2010 St Henri Shiraz 100%
2009 St Henri Shiraz 97% 3%
2008 St Henri Shiraz 91% 9%
2007 St Henri Shiraz 100%
2006 St Henri Shiraz 89% 11%
2005 St Henri Shiraz 89% 11%
2004 St Henri Shiraz 96% 4%
2003 St Henri Shiraz 100%
2002 St Henri Shiraz 90% 10%
2001 St Henri Shiraz 100%
2000 St Henri Shiraz 100%
1999 St Henri Shiraz 89% 11%
1998 St Henri Shiraz 92% 8%
1997 St Henri Shiraz 92% 8%
1996 St Henri Shiraz 90% 10%
1995 St Henri Shiraz- Cabernet 85% 15%
1994 St Henri Shiraz- Cabernet 77% 23%
1993 St Henri Shiraz- Cabernet 87% 13%
1992 St Henri Shiraz- Cabernet 79% 21%
1991 St Henri Shiraz 90% 10%
1990 St Henri Shiraz 89% 11%
1989 St Henri Claret 89% 11%
1988 St Henri Claret 88% 12%
1987 St Henri Claret 87% 13%
1986 St Henri Claret 86% 14%
1985 St Henri Claret 99% 1%
1984 St Henri Claret 77% 23%
1983 St Henri Claret 81% 19%
1982 St Henri Claret 61% 39%
1981 St Henri Claret 74% 26%
1980 St Henri Claret 77% 23%
1979 St Henri Claret 67% 33%
1978 St Henri Claret 56% 44%
1977 St Henri Claret 51% 49%
1976 St Henri Claret 74% 26%
1975 St Henri Claret 75% 25%
1974 St Henri Claret
1973 St Henri Claret
1972 St Henri Claret
1971 St Henri Claret
1970 St Henri Claret
1969 St Henri Claret
1968 St Henri Claret
1967 St Henri Claret
1966 St Henri Claret
1965 St Henri Claret
1964 St Henri Claret
1963 St Henri Claret
1962 St Henri Claret
1961 St Henri Claret
1960 St Henri Claret
1959 St Henri Claret
1958 St Henri Claret
1957 St Henri Claret
1956 St Henri Claret
Shiraz Varietal article (Wikipedia) | Varietal character (Appellation America)St. HenriHomepage for Penfolds, St. Henri:
https://www.penfolds.com/en-au/wines/the-penfolds-collection/st-henri-shiraz/Australia Wine Australia (Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) | Australian Wines (Wikipedia)South Australia South Australian Wine Industry Association | South Australian Wines (Wikipedia) |
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