-
100
/ 100
Andrew Caillard MW -
98
/ 100
James Suckling -
20
/ 20
Matthew Jukes
Red
Classification
Shiraz
Variety
2010
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
Australia
Country
South Australia, Multi Regional
Region
14.5%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
100 / 100"The finest vintage under this label since it was first released during the 1950s.The 2010 St Henri stands as the triumph of this year’s Penfolds luxury release. The wine is amazingly expressive with deep colour, superb fruit complexity, voluminous richness and supple textures. Dark chocolate, dark cherry, blackberry, mocha, roasted chestnut aromas are followed by a richly concentrated palate full of dark chocolate, paneforte flavours, generous sweet fruit notes and ripe loose-knit chocolaty tannins. It finishes graphite firm, long, and minerally. A gorgeous wine with all the hallmarks of long term ageing potential."
- Andrew Caillard MW
98 / 100
"A rare vintage of only shiraz in this wine, the sourcing is Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Adelaide Hills, Wrattonbully and Clare Valley. A very handy vintage of this classically styled Penfolds red. Bright hearty fruit dominates amid earth, tar and dark nutty elements; boot polish too, really deep. The palate has seamless flow and build with immense concentration at play. Dark liquorice, blackberry and plum are swathed in deeply ripe, smooth but strong tannins. The finish holds and holds, with dark plum here too. Having terrific length and depth, this will go down as one of the greatest ever St. Henri releases."
- James Suckling
20 / 20
"‘For me, this is the finest young [red] I have ever tasted. It is phenomenal in every way. I cannot imagine how it could be bettered … The clarity of message from start to finish is arresting … wistful spice and heavenly floral notes … majestic drive and intensity of fruit. The tannins are awesome … Dense damson and blueberry notes cavort – the whole experience is almost transcendental. Epic and thrilling I couldn’t spit it out. I couldn’t whiplash it out of my mouth even if I was crashed into at speed while waiting for a red light to change. Weirdly it wasn’t swallowed either – it was subsumed into my soul."
- Matthew Jukes
Tasting Notes
100pts Andrew Caillard MW
Penfolds St Henri is a highly successful 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. It was created in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957) and gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood.
"If I were forced to make a list of my Top Ten Australian Wines, then you’d find St Henri near the top. It goes into my cellar and down my neck fairly regularly, though perhaps not as often as I’d like." - Gary Walsh
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity