Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri South Australia 2017

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If it’s not the best in the world, it’s at least a top five greatest Shiraz bottlings! Penfolds’s 97 point St. Henri bottling is a counterpoint to their flagship “Grange” – with all of the same prestige and care, minus the new oak influence. Now, it’s all yours with shipping included on every order and an amazing price drop when you buy two or more!

Syrah/Shiraz and Aussie wine enthusiasts the world over – start your engines! Penfolds has arrived. This is THE greatest producer of Australian wine – and one of the best producers in the world, at that. You already know their flagship wine, Grange, which is Shiraz with a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s the wine that basically earned them their stripes in the wine industry, essentially making them the First Growth of Australia. We’ve had the great fortune of getting to taste Grange (which typically retails for several hundred dollars) side by side with this St. Henri bottling, and we unequivocally picked this one as the top gun.

It isn’t that it’s a better wine, per se – but just very different. Where Grange is an inky beast shellacked with super-strength oak influence and a giant spice cabinet of bold, barrel-driven flavors – the St. Henri leans more pure and wild, even a bit mysterious. Both are delicious, no question, but St. Henri has so much fresh fruit, plenty of spice, and some added wild garrigue and fresh garden herbal notes. It’s infused with violets and cherry kirsch, while also displaying a smoky bacon fat savoriness that sincerely makes this bottling unforgettable. Not to mention, it won 97 points from Falstaff and a whole slew of additional heaping praise from other critics!

The wine aged for 12 months in 50-plus-year-old large oak casks... just enough time to polish the tannins into a honed and sultry-soft position. There’s an air of fresh-roasted coffee beans, along with salt-brined black olives, the moment the wine hits the palate. Then come cool, bright red fruits and a tingly acidity driving things forward, with pomegranate and red currant lingering long after each sip. Just an all-out stunner of a wine, and vibrantly youthful for approaching a decade of age, with another 20-plus years within reach. I certainly won’t be waiting that long – my next nice Sunday supper will do just fine, and the next few after that, as well! With free shipping on ALL orders, make sure you secure a few of these iconic Shiraz gems yourself.

PAIRING IDEAS: Speaking of Sunday supper, this is a favorite braised lamb shank recipe of ours that would absolutely flourish atop creamy parmesan risotto with this sultry and expressive Aussie Shiraz.

MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: My favorite Aussie singer-songwriter Vance Joy delivers a similarly joy-infused, emotive experience as this wine, and “From Afar” is a great place to start.