Region: South Australia
Sub Region: Multi-regional
Varieties: 96% Shiraz, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: Australia
Vintage: 2013
Style: Full-bodied, cellar-aged red
The Wine
St Henri is one of Australian wine’s great studies in patient maturation. Its combination of concentrated Shiraz, restrained oak influence and enduring structure has produced a remarkable history of long-lived wines. The 2013 belongs firmly within that tradition: substantial, savoury and built to reveal itself gradually.
Fruit came from McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Padthaway and Port Lincoln. The blend is 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 12 months in large, seasoned oak vats more than 50 years old. This gentle élevage keeps the emphasis on the fruit’s natural texture and the shape of its tannins.
Dry conditions and relatively low yields produced a vintage of considerable intensity. Blackberry and dark cherry are threaded with liquorice, dried herbs, cinnamon and earthy, game-like complexity. There is generosity through the middle, supported by mouth-watering acidity and a firm, finely textured finish.
The 2013 attracted particular praise for combining depth with understated elegance. More than a decade from vintage, it offers the opportunity to explore St Henri as its savoury complexity develops, while retaining the framework for further cellaring.
Cellared Says
This is a St Henri I’d choose for someone who enjoys the more savoury, contemplative side of Australian Shiraz. The appeal is in the detail: earth, spice, dark fruit and the gradual softening of a serious tannin structure.
I’d be very comfortable opening a well-stored bottle now, giving it time in the glass and following it through the evening. Equally, there is a convincing case for keeping bottles into the 2030s. It’s the sort of wine that makes a cellar feel worthwhile.
Reviews
“This is one for the long-long haul…”
97 Points — Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
“It’s silky smooth, supremely elegant and fruit-sweet within its casing of fine powdery tannins.”
96 Points — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Region: South Australia
Sub Region: Multi-regional
Varieties: 96% Shiraz, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: Australia
Vintage: 2013
Style: Full-bodied, cellar-aged red
The Wine
St Henri is one of Australian wine’s great studies in patient maturation. Its combination of concentrated Shiraz, restrained oak influence and enduring structure has produced a remarkable history of long-lived wines. The 2013 belongs firmly within that tradition: substantial, savoury and built to reveal itself gradually.
Fruit came from McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Padthaway and Port Lincoln. The blend is 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 12 months in large, seasoned oak vats more than 50 years old. This gentle élevage keeps the emphasis on the fruit’s natural texture and the shape of its tannins.
Dry conditions and relatively low yields produced a vintage of considerable intensity. Blackberry and dark cherry are threaded with liquorice, dried herbs, cinnamon and earthy, game-like complexity. There is generosity through the middle, supported by mouth-watering acidity and a firm, finely textured finish.
The 2013 attracted particular praise for combining depth with understated elegance. More than a decade from vintage, it offers the opportunity to explore St Henri as its savoury complexity develops, while retaining the framework for further cellaring.
Cellared Says
This is a St Henri I’d choose for someone who enjoys the more savoury, contemplative side of Australian Shiraz. The appeal is in the detail: earth, spice, dark fruit and the gradual softening of a serious tannin structure.
I’d be very comfortable opening a well-stored bottle now, giving it time in the glass and following it through the evening. Equally, there is a convincing case for keeping bottles into the 2030s. It’s the sort of wine that makes a cellar feel worthwhile.
Reviews
“This is one for the long-long haul…”
97 Points — Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
“It’s silky smooth, supremely elegant and fruit-sweet within its casing of fine powdery tannins.”
96 Points — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
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