Sthenri2004_medium  

2004 Penfolds, St Henri, Shiraz

  • Region
    South Australia
  • Country
    Australia
  • Price
    AUD $70-$90
  • Alcohol
    14.5%

  • Liquid Assets Assessment Summary

  • Summary note

    Fresh, ripe Blackberries dominate the nose; further Blackberry themes emerge, blackberry liqueur in particular. A soft, supple and mildly viscous mid palate with dense Blackberry flavours. Barely visible tannin act as scaffolding for the strong primary fruit. Hints of mint. I think this wine is at the outer limit of the fresh primary fruit wine-space. 95/100

  • Quality by palate position
    5 5 4 3
    Aroma Front Mid Palate Back Palate Aftertaste
    Quality by holistic factors
    5 5 5 4 5 1 4
    Ripeness Freshness Flavour Tannin Fault Freedom Complexity Integration
  • Score
    18.7/20
    95/100
    La_gold
    Liquid Assets
    Gold Quality

  • Wine Assessment Notes

  • Nose

    A single Blackberry appears of the freshest, plumpest and ripest order.

    Blackberry themes emerge, blackberry liqueur in particular.

  • Palate

    A soft and supple mid palate with flavours of guess what? Blackberries.

    I have never seen such a pure expression of one type of black fruit, almost a hologram? of blackberries appears in the mid palate.

    Plump moist, just picked.
    Finest, slightest damp tannins support the fruit.

    Barely visible tannin-scaffolding construct the altar of this single, black fruit.

    Hints of mint later if you go diving for it but it remains in the depths under … blackberries.

    Finish fine.
    Tannins Fine.
    Cant be faulted anywhere.

    Oddly enough, I find myself a little nettled through the whole tasting experience.

    Is the fruit dominated in one dimension of black fruit to the point of suppressing other complexing factors?

    Is it protective winemaking gone to the extreme to protect primary fruit character?

    It is the single time I have thought that I have too much fresh and ripe primary fruit.

    I just cant get excited about it. Perhaps it is the absence of other elements, even some imperfection to investigate that would give me more pleasure.
    I feel guilty about not getting all gushy about the perfect primary fruit.

    The fresh fruit school of thought, the “Australian high church of Fresh Fruiters” rejects cooked or baked fruit under all circumstances, idolizes the fresh fruit and is leery of the appearance of Woodiness from oak.

    I think this wine is at the outer limit of the fresh primary fruit wine-space.

    I am intrigued to see what lies under the Blackberry hologram. Try in 5 years and see.

  • Other

  • Tasting date
    9/9/2008