Always the most unique, savoury and graceful red in the Penfolds stable, beloved for the fact it does not see any new oak (just 12 months in large, seasoned vats) and thereby emphasises the unadulterated purity of South Australian Shiraz. And the dry, low-yielding 2020 vintage has delivered an already approachable St Henri whose score may well improve with further maturation (in the meantime I wait with rapt anticipation for the 2021…). More McLaren Vale fruit joins the Barossa and Clare parcels this vintage thanks to late summer rain, and the result is a textured, mineral, fresh-fruited profile that conjures up rhubarb, cherries and wild strawberries along with seaweed, curry spices and polished leather enveloped in dusty, textured tannins.

St. Henri was first made in 1957. It is always an alternative expression of Australian shiraz, made without using any new oak. It is no easy task, but after nearly 65 years, St. Henri has proven that using old wooden vats is possible, and it can produce a sublime version of Oz Shiraz in direct opposition to the likes of Grange and RWT. In 2020, the fruit hales from McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, and Clare Valley, a small part of which is cabernet sauvignon, supporting the structure without impacting its shiraz ethos. The fruit profile is exuberant and reserved all at once. Look for strawberries and candied Christmas cake with a plush, spicy, savoury underside that brings complexity to the mix. Long, supple, and as lush as you can imagine, this is a terrific bottle of St. Henri in what was a wet year. Drink or hold, either way, you win. (Anthony Gismondi).