Awards, Ratings & Reviews
92/100 — Jeremy Oliver · 2003 Vintage · Tasted: Jan 2004
Drinking Window: 2011 to 2015
91/100 — CellarTracker · 2003 Vintage
91/100 — The Wine Front · 2003 Vintage
About This Wine
Penfolds St Henri is a multi-regional South Australian blend, primarily based on Shiraz, although it still honours the original style.
St Henri is unusual among high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on 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.
The wine is matured in old, 1460 litre oak vats that allow the wine to develop while imparting no oak character.
The 2003 growing season in southern Australia was generally regarded as warm, starting with a dry winter and a warm, clear spring. This was followed by some episodes of heat through the summer, whilst cooler weather towards the end of the season relieved the vines in the run up to vintage.
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 Penfolds collectors.
Producer Notes
Colour: Deep crimson with a dark core.
Nose: The nose, showing no signs of oak, is altogether different to its Shiraz partners: Grange; RWT; and Magill Estate. Chocolate and mocha aromas are woven with Christmas pudding spices, cinnamon/nutmeg and fig and prune. The primary notes of stewed, dark berry fruits are counter-balanced by secondary notes of demi-glace and roasting pan juices.
Palate: The palate is seamless with St. Henri's trademark, glossy and silky mouthfeel. Wild raspberry and loganberry fruits align with 'finessed' tannins and a refreshing acidity to aid palate tightness, inducing a continuum through (not across) the mid-palate. 2003 is a solid St. Henri release and a great example of this wine in a challenging vintage - reaffirming its 50+ year-old credentials through thick and thin.
Specifications
- Vintage: 2003
- Grape Variety: 100% Shiraz
- Region: Barossa Valley / Clare Valley / McLaren Vale / Langhorne Creek / South Australia / Australia
- Fermentation: N/A
- Maturation: 15 months in large, old, 1460 litre oak vats
- Production Attributes: Unoaked
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Sweetness: Dry
- Residual Sugar: 1 g/L
- Acidity TA: 6.6 g/L
- Acidity pH: 3.6
- Winemaker: Peter Gago
- Ownership: Treasury Wine Estates
- Closure: Cork
