Winery: Penfolds
Region: Barossa, McLaren Vale, Robe
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2006
Your Wine Guy says:
This release marks the 50th vintage of Penfolds St Henri Shiraz. The 2006 St Henri greets you with a deep dark almost impenetrable red colour. Volumes of fruit from the dark berry spectrum seduce the nose, like blueberries delicately covered in chocolate mocha sauce. Intense blue and black fruits abound on the palate to with classic Shiraz spiciness and some herbal notes. Restrained oak allows the fruit to speak loud and clear and will do so for many years to come.
95 Points YWG Drink to 2022+
Critics say:
“This year’s release of Penfolds St Henri Shiraz includes 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. I like the sound of that.
I don’t yet have the grape sourcing details - I’ll add them when I find them.
Pure fruit. I often see oak in modern releases of St Henri Shiraz (shock horror) but I don’t see it in this release. Pristine, blueberry-like flavour, and a deal of it. Delicious stuff. Elements of spice and dried herbs too. Balance and class. Building blocks of complexity. Longevity won’t be a problem. Unlike most wines this will be better with age - though, it must be said, it tastes lovely now too.”
95 Points Drink 2017 – 2030 Campbell Mattinson The Wine Front
“Celebrating his fiftieth birthday this year (fifty commercial releases), Monsieur Henri is a dignified chap and he’s not putting on much of a show to mark the occasion. That’s him in the corner, as restrained and reserved as ever, comfortable to sit back while the rest of the family flaunt their showy new oak and glitzy fruit. “I have a soft spot for the ’02 and ’04 St Henris,” Peter Gago admits, “but the ’06 is less up front and less flamboyant.” And it’s none the less for it. This is a St Henri that simply needs a good deal of time for its black fruits to unravel. There’s a little more Cabernet in the recipe than usual, as well as a little more deep black fruit from Robe (great cray-fishing spot near Coonawarra). There’s no question that it will go the distance, thanks to finely textured tannins, lively acid profile and persistent fruit. Leave it a good decade before you waltz up and introduce yourself.”
94 Points Tyson Stelzer
The winemaker says:
Colour: Deep dark red.
Nose: Fragrant scents of praline and dark chocolate immediately conveyed, followed by blackberry, powdered violet & lavender (talc). Beneath, fresh green tobacco and lively spices, cold meats / pan juices fuse together. The result: a youthful, benchmark St Henri aromatic package.
Palate: Medium-bodied and relatively 'elegant'. A palate stand-off / divide - Kirsch and dark fruits versus pomegranate / cranberry & dessicated Chinese plums. Cold meat flavours - corned beef or poached silverside? Powdery savoury tannins... Polished. Peter Gago - Penfolds Chief Winemaker