2018 Penfolds St. Henri
Producer: Penfolds
Region: Barossa Valley
Country: Australia
Grapes: 100% Shiraz
Vintage: 2018
ABV: 14.5%
Vivino: 4.4
Drink By: 2046
Occasional Wine Note: Penfolds is probably the most well-known Australian brand in the US. They just produce fantastic wine year in and year out and never seem to sit on last year's success. This Shiraz is an absolute stunner. If you are having lamb for dinner, Shiraz is the quintessential pairing, but this Shiraz is one you want to pull out when you're looking to impress friends of family. Dried dark fruits, a hint of chocolate, and a bit of spice. Robert Parker called it: "full bodied elegance." Enjoy!
James Suckling
Critic Score: 99
A great St. Henri and, although multi-regional, this is very much a wine that speaks of the Barossa Valley, with aromas of ripe blackberries and red plums that are so fresh, together with tobacco, young-leather, earth, chocolate, coal-smoke and tarry accents. Effortless depth on the palate with summer berries, framed in fine, alabaster-like tannins that are underscored with discreet power. So long and captivating. A blend of Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Port Lincoln, Robe, Padthaway, Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills. Drink over the next decade or more.
Wine Advocate
Critic Score: 97
The 2018 St Henri Shiraz is a terrific effort, perhaps rivaling the top-flight wines under this label in 1976 and 1986. Remarkably fine and silky in texture yet simultaneously dense and concentrated, it showcases the amazing fruit harvested in 2018. Boysenberry, mulberry and mocha shadings all swirl together effortlessly in a whorl of full-bodied elegance, finishing long and effortless. Mainly Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, it includes smaller amounts of fruit from Port Lincoln, Robe, Padthaway, Clare Valley and the Adelaide Hills, all aged 12 months in large old wooden vats.