Awards, Ratings & Reviews
95/100 — Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front · 2001 Vintage
“Excellent. A good example of how under-rated 2001 is - at the upper end the wines are as good, and often better, than their 2002 equivalents. This wine is all blooming aromatics, black cherry and kirsh, with a blackness that gives the wine a real sense of free-flowing, fruit-driven oomph. The impressive thing is the wine's momentum: once you swallow, the fruitiness seems to continue on, a classic St Henri leathery tastiness left in its wake. If St Henri is a style you enjoy, have no hesitation in buying this one. Drink: 2011-2020.”
92/100 — Huon Hooke, The Real Review · 2001 Vintage
“Big rich nose, aniseed and violets, lots of aromas in the very ripe spectrum. Big and gripping on palate: very tannic and solid. A whopper! The biggest end of St Henri style. Needs ages. Huge: will it ever soften? Drink now to 30 years.”
91/100 — Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar · 2001 Vintage
“Medium ruby. Fresh crushed blackcurrant, dark cherry, peat, cigar box, tar and a meaty suggestion of iron on the nose. Meaty and chewy, but also endowed with ripe, deep berry flavors and a vaguely licorice quality. Conveys an impression of strong extract. Finishes with sweet, subtly oaky suggestions of charred meat and anise, with the tannins substantial but well-judged.”
★★★★★ — Huon Hooke & Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2005/2006
“This is a St. Henri of great colour and depth. It has meaty, spicy, leather and humus complexities, already developing mellowness, plus touches of the prune and anise character of the 01 Penfolds vintage. Multi-layered flavours, developing nicely but very vibrant in the mouth.”
BRONZE — San Francisco International Wine Competition · 2005
91/100 — Anthony Gismondi & Stuart Tobe, Gismondi on Wine · 2001 Vintage · Tasted: Oct 2005
“A historic Penfolds wine whose origins date back to the same period when Max Schubert was designing Grange and the wine was foot-crushed. St Henri spends 16 months in 55 year-old, 2000-litre vats that prevent any new wood flavours from messing with its fruit. The anti-Grange gets better as it ages and I mean age as in 10 to 20 years in bottle. The Penfolds descriptor of fruitcake hits the nail on the head and so too does the word supple. There's a dollop of cabernet in St Henri to bolster the structure but you would be hard pressed to note it. The 02 is classic - olives, milk chocolate and almost overpowering red currant. The un-wooded fashion maintained for decades 'not in arrogant style' but only because the style is so distinctive and dare I say sensational. Winemaker Peter Gago says, 'It's the same as Grange in the best vintages.' As it is with most young St Henri, it is under developed. Great value and one for the cellar.”
About This Wine
Penfolds St Henri is a multi-regional, multi-vineyard South Australian blend, primarily based on Shiraz, while honouring the original style established in the 19th century.
The wine is matured in seasoned large oak vats for around 15 to 18 months before bottling, emphasising fruit and maturation character rather than oak influence.
The 2001 growing season began with good winter rainfall, encouraging strong spring vine development. Exceptional heat through January and late summer was relieved by rain in mid-March, allowing Penfolds to carefully select premium quality blending components from vineyards across South Australia.
St Henri possesses a unique stature in Australian wine history and remains a favourite among Penfolds collectors for its proven style and ageing potential.
Producer Notes
Colour: An excellent depth of colour with bright crimson hues.
Nose: Lifted and complex, aromas of spice, raspberry and blackberry fruits, develop characters of praline, anise and mocha with a swirl of the glass. Notes of quince paste, meat jus, black olive, and background tarriness promote an intriguing, complex style.
Palate: A full bodied offering with a generous mid palate and formidable weight for the style of wine. Tight, with rounded, integrated, yet obvious tannins, primary flavours of black fruits, blackberry conserve, dark plum, liquorice and spice are evident.
About the Producer
The first vintage of St Henri, then known as Auldana Cellars St Henri Claret, was produced in 1888 and became one of Australia's most enduring wine labels.
The wine was revived by Senior Red Winemaker John Davoren at Penfolds in 1953 to celebrate the centenary of Auldana Cellars. The 1957 vintage is officially recognised as the first commercial St Henri release under the Penfolds name.
Today St Henri remains a multi-regional South Australian blend, primarily based on Shiraz, matured in seasoned large oak vats rather than small barrels, preserving the traditional style that distinguishes it from Grange.
Specifications
- Vintage: 2001
- Grape Variety: Shiraz
- Region: South Australia / Australia
- Maturation: 16 months in large old oak vats
- Production Attributes: American Oak
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity TA: 6.6 g/L
- Acidity pH: 3.55
- Winemaker: Peter Gago
- Ownership: Treasury Wine Estates
- Closure: Cork or screwcap
