2014 St Henri Shiraz

Thick deep purple. Refined, really complex nose. Super-ripe purple fruit and lovely polish. So clean and fresh on the end. Suave and velvety. Complete. Lightly salty and beautifully smooth yet with masses of tannins underneath.

This bottle was opened in front of me and served without decanting. Containing 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and with a deep garnet-purple color, the 2014 Shiraz St Henriz has a relatively shy nose of black plums, black cherries and mulberries with nuances of underbrush, fruit cake and damp soil. The full-bodied palate has satisfying richness, with firm, rounded tannins supporting the earthy fruit layers, finishing with good depth and persistence.

No new oak. Released for the first time by Penfolds in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957), it gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood. Matured in old, 1,460 litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz. Above average winter and early spring rainfall offered the vines in South Australia healthy soil moisture profiles for the growing season. Late spring and summer were dry and warm with significant heat records being set. Warm weather prevailed during summer and throughout veraison, allowing grapes to develop evenly and with good intensity. These warm conditions came to an abrupt halt in mid February with significant rainfall allowing for a long and slow ripening of the fruit in very good conditions. 96% Shiraz, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, Southern Fleurieu, Wrattonbully, Mt Benson. TA 6.3 g/l, pH 3.66. 12 months in 50-year-old vats. Thick deep purple. Refined, really complex nose. Super-ripe purple fruit and lovely polish. So clean and fresh on the end. Suave and velvety. Complete. Lightly salty and beautifully smooth yet with masses of tannins underneath. (JR)