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Penfolds “St. Henri” Shiraz 2002
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Despite laying claim to the formidable Penfolds Grange (which seems to accumulate legend
points on a logarithmic basis as the years pass), Penfolds is not a winery to rest on its laurels.
It created the St. Henri line in the 1950s, and resurrected the wine in the 1990s. The $40 St.
Henri shows an iconoclastic side; it is matured over fourteen months in oversize old oak
foudres that give the wine a chance to express complexity without adding the usual
new oak. The Shiraz is sourced in South Australia's McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley, and is
helped along by a 9% infusion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The deep ruby St. Henri is nearly opaque. Leather and smoky Asian spice fill the nose, with blackberry jam, blackcurrant jam, black pepper, a floral element, and some alcoholic heat (the big wine is an unsurprising 14.5% abv). The palate adds a bacon meatiness, stewed fruit, raspberry, pomegranate, and chocolate, with touches of dried herb.
I did not attempt to see if a spoon would stand up in this wine, but it has the level of fruit
extraction and the kind of opulent mouthfeel that makes you muse about just such a
possibility. Even the lengthy finish is fully mouth-filling. At the finale, the fruit, aided by
direct acidity and supple tannins, takes hold in the full power of its expression; the final
message is sweetness, ripeness, and an abiding softness the wine has earned.
Verdict: Formidable |
Tasting Archive
Big bold wines show that very boldness when they reveal their gentle sides. 
James Beard Foundation Award Nominee http://www.stylegourmet.com/wine/tas00122.htm
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