Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2012

Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021 - 5/5 rating

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. Released for the first time by Penfolds in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957), it 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 commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters as it ages. It is matured in old, 1,460 litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz. 

"The graceful, supple blue fruits of classic St Henri are on parade in a wine of effortless, refined persistence. Nuances of liquorice and dark chocolate are supported by definitive St Henri fruit tannins, seamlessly presented, with a silky, supple mouth feel and yet somehow still firm and enduring. A great St Henri of effortless longevity, following in the legacy of 2010 and promising a thrilling future."  Tyson Stelzer

"The abiding character of St Henri is its longevity, particularly in the context of better vintages. It has none of the make-up of new American oak that can hide the imperfections of a lesser vintage. A great St Henri will come into its own in a bare minimum of 10 years, and live long thereafter."  James Halliday 

The 2012 Penfolds St Henri is a blend of 97% shiraz and 3% cabernet sauvignon from premium vineyards in the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Robe and Clare Valley. It was aged for 13 months in 50+ y.o. large oak vats.

"Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackberry, dark plum, mulberry and brambly liquorice aromas. Plush and richly flavoured with ripe blackberry, mulberry, dark chocolate and liquorice flavours, roasted walnut notes and fine plentiful chalky/muscular tannins. A chocolaty grippy firm finish. Plenty of torque in this wine. Peak drinking 2023 to 2045.

Vintage Conditions: Most areas of South Australia were impacted by lower than average rainfall across the winter period. This resulted in early bud break in some areas and ideal stress throughout spring flowering. Healthy and welcome spring rain ensued, merging with a mild summer with just a few short periods of heat. Mild daytime temperatures and cool evenings were observed across the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, allowing for impressive flavour development without inflated baumés. Typically cooler regions (e.g. Adelaide Hills and maritime Robe) developed evenly and with concentration over a long ripening season. Balanced canopies and crops provided even development throughout veraison across all South Australian regions. Bursts of warmth and dry conditions continued throughout harvest allowing fruit to be picked in optimal condition and rainfall marked the end of vintage. Smaller berry and bunch sizes were noticeable in most regions. This, coupled with favourable weather conditions, induced great results for traditional quality markers – colour, tannin profile, fruit concentration and flavour depth."  Penfolds

Expert reviews

"Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackberry, dark plum, mulberry and brambly liquorice aromas. Plush and richly flavoured with ripe blackberry, mulberry, dark chocolate and liquorice flavours, roasted walnut notes and fine plentiful chalky/muscular tannins. A chocolaty grippy firm finish. Plenty of torque in this wine. Peak drinking 2023 to 2045."  Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021 - 5/5 rating

"A highly-anticipated wine from vintage 2012, this doesn't disappoint. Just 3% cabernet, quite tightly-knit red fruit, blackberry, dried red currants, goji berries and a subtle undertone of earthiness. The palate has an entirely different texture to the other reds, it is all silk, tannins are polished to a bright, lustrous texture, slippery, even, deceptively powerful, plush, pure and long. Finishes bright and expansive, this is one of the great St. Henri releases! You can drink it now, but those who wait until after 2020 will be happiest."  James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com - 98 points

"Very dense Shiraz with an 'old vine' texture. Layers of dark berry, plum, prune, Christmas cake, spice, anise, dark chocolate, leather, a suggestion of wood smoke and much, much more. Very lengthy palate - a powerful wine that is remarkably drinkable now, with fine ripe tannins smothered by sweet fruit. Will age very well indeed. Drink: 2016-2032."  Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review - 98 points

"St Henri was the same price as Grange when the two were first released in the 1950s. 2010 St Henri declared that this label is still deserving of greater respect than it is afforded, and 2012 confirms that this was no one-off. The mild summer, dry autumn and even development of small berries and bunches produced beautifully pure and distinguished fruit that plays perfectly to the St Henri style. The graceful, supple blue fruits of classic St Henri are on parade in a wine of effortless, refined persistence. Nuances of liquorice and dark chocolate are supported by definitive St Henri fruit tannins, seamlessly presented, with a silky, supple mouth feel and yet somehow still firm and enduring. A great St Henri of effortless longevity, following in the legacy of 2010 and promising a thrilling future. Drink: 2027-2047."  Tyson Stelzer, Wine Taste - 97 points

"The 2012 Shiraz St Henri is very impressive with its elegant, sophisticated and well-crafted expression of this superb vintage. As always, there is no new oak employed here, simply 50+ year old large oak vats. This vintage has a dollop (3%) Cabernet Sauvignon, contributing a lovely cassis lift to the heady perfume. Deep garnet-purple colored, it displays a gorgeous nose of commendable purity and intensity with notes of red and blackcurrants, freshly crushed blackberries, menthol, cinnamon stick, bacon fat and cloves. Rich and already expressive on the palate, it is nonetheless built for the long haul with firm, ripe and grainy tannins carrying the fruit to a long and layered finish. This should be a long-lived St Henri that should cellar gracefully for at least 2 decades. Drink: 2016-2035; Date Tasted: Sept 2015."  Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate – 96+ points

"Deep-ish red colour with vestiges of purple. The bouquet is distinctive and very complex, showing earthy, sousbois, leather, 'forest floor' nuances. The flavours are tremendously seductive, enticingly meaty/charcuterie-like, licoricey and multi-faceted; the tannins soft and sexy. The wine oozes drinkability. Just delicious! Drink: 2015-2040."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 96 points

"In the manner of all St Henris, matured for 13 months in 50yo oak vats (1460l). This is an exercise on a chequer board of savoury/smoky black fruits with firm, but polished, tannins. A great St Henri that will come into its own in a bare minimum of 10 years, and live long thereafter. Drink by: 2047."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 96 points

"Lovely, supple dark plum, inky, Chinotto, panforte flavours and fine, plentiful lacy textures. Classic St Henri. Easy to drink now, but it has the balance and density to develop for many years."  Andrew Caillard MW - 96 points

"Forest berries, dark chocolate, vanilla perfume, earthy almost Autumnal scents, liquorice, new leather, crushed spices, violets: it does not lack complexity. Medium to full bodied, carries a minor amount of alcohol warmth, but the smooth silky milk chocolate tannin, the carriage of pure South Australia Shiraz flavour, the glow and gloss of it, carries the wine forward in the most charming manner. Raspberries! They're here, which I always want to find in St Henri. For my tastes, at least, it's a better wine than the 2010. It will age for as long as you want to keep it.. 2015-2040+."  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - 96 points 

Awards

Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021 - 5/5 rating

About 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, probably because of reduced export sales. It was revived by Senior Red Winemaker John Davoren at Penfolds in 1953 to celebrate the centenary of Auldana Cellars (established by Patrick Auld in 1853) but the wine was not widely released. The 1953 release was made from Auldana and Paracombe fruit and the label design was based on original St Henri labels found in a loft at Auldana Cellars shortly after its sale to Penfolds in 1947.

According to retired Penfolds Senior Winemaker John Bird, the first vintages of St Henri were cabernet sauvignon and mataro blends. The fruit was foot stomped in open-ended hogsheads during vinification. After fermentation, the wine was matured in oak vats rather than hogsheads for around 18 months. John Davoren's aim was to make a wine in the traditional Claret style, accentuating fruit and maturation characters, rather than oak complexity. In this way the winemaking style differs to Grange, as it relies on larger seasoned oak vessels without any barrel fermentation. The 1957 vintage is officially recognised as the first St Henri commercial release under the Penfolds name. Nonetheless, John Davoren describes all of the 1950s vintages as "trials”. These experimental wines from 1953 to 1959 mark an important step forward for winemaking in Australia. Not only does St Henri honour the late 19th-century aspirations of Auldana's proprietor Sir Josiah Symon and winemaker Léon Edmond Mazure, but without the professional rivalry between Max Schubert and John Davoren, the Grange story would not have the same richness or romance. Initially St Henri achieved greater commercial success than Grange, although both were offered to the public as Claret styles. St Henri was a more elegant, approachable and familiar style because it reflected traditional winemaking techniques, whereas the revolutionary Grange was something of a blockbuster with more richness and fullness.

Today Penfolds St Henri is a multi-regional multi-vineyard South Australian blend, primarily based on shiraz, although it still honours the original style. Significant contrbutions of shiraz come from Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Robe and Bordertown; cabernet sauvignon from Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills. After vinification the wine is matured in seasoned large oak vats for around 15 to 18 months before bottling. 

St Henri was labelled 'Claret' until the 1989 vintage. Packaged in laser-etched bottles
since the 1996 vintage. Released in many markets under screwcap since 2005. St Henri Shiraz possesses a unique stature in the story of Australian wine. With its proven style and aging potential, it is a favourite among Penfold's collectors. 

Extract from Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021

After the success of early sherries and fortified wines, founders Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold planted the vine cuttings they had carried on their voyage over to Australia. In 1844 the fledging vineyard was officially established as the Penfolds wine company at Magill Estate.

As the company grew, so too did Dr Penfold's medical reputation, leaving much of the running of the winery to Mary Penfold. Early forays into Clarets and Rieslings proved increasingly popular, and on Christopher's death in 1870, Mary assumed total responsibility for the winery. Mary's reign at the helm of Penfolds saw years of determination and endeavour.

By the time Mary Penfold retired in 1884 (ceding management to her daughter, Georgina) Penfolds was producing 1/3 of all South Australia's wine. She'd set an agenda that continues today, experimenting with new methods in wine production. By Mary's death in 1896, the Penfolds legacy was well on its way to fruition. By 1907, Penfolds had become South Australia's largest winery.

In 1948, history was made again as Max Schubert became the company's first Chief Winemaker. A loyal company man and true innovator, Schubert would propel Penfolds onto the global stage with his experimentation of long-lasting wines - the creation of Penfolds Grange in the 1950s.

In 1959 (while Schubert was perfecting his Grange experiment in secret), the tradition of ‘bin wines' began. The first, a Shiraz wine with the grapes of the company's own Barossa Valley vineyards was simply named after the storage area of the cellars where it is aged. And so Kalimna Bin 28 becomes the first official Penfolds Bin number wine.

In 1960, the Penfolds board instructed Max Schubert to officially re-start production on Grange. His determination and the quality of the aged wine had won them over.

Soon, the medals began flowing and Grange quickly became one of the most revered wines around the world. In 1988 Schubert was named Decanter Magazine's Man of the Year, and on the 50th anniversary of its birth, Penfolds Grange was given a heritage listing in South Australia.

Despite great success, Penfolds never rests on its laurels. In 2012 Penfolds released its most innovative project to date - 12 handcrafted ampoules of the rare 2004 Kalimna Block Cabernet Sauvignon.

Two years later, Penfolds celebrated the 170th anniversary – having just picked up a perfect score of 100 for the 2008 Grange in two of the world's most influential wine magazines. Today, Penfolds continues to hold dear the philosophies and legends – ‘1844 to evermore!'.