2016 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz

5/5 Rating, Penfolds Rewards of Patience Tasting Panel (2021)
Deep crimson. Intense elderberry, blackberry, liquorice and aniseed aromas with dark chocolate notes. Massively concentrated dark plum, elderberry and blackberry fruits with dark chocolate notes and fine dense chalky-firm tannins. Finishes chocolaty with cherry liqueur notes. A powerful wine built for the long haul. A superb St Henri vintage. Peak drinking 2026 to 2060.

19.0+ Points, Matthew Jukes
The 2016 St Henri is so profound and well-built that it took my breath away. Very complete and smooth, this is a powerful and focussed St Henri and it is certainly the finest release since the stellar 2010 vintage. With a little more upholstery and depth than I would have expected, this is a stunning wine with layers and layers of plush fruit coupled with a seriously long finish. It is nothing short of brilliant. Drink: 2024–2050.

98 Points, James Suckling – JamesSuckling.com
(Top 100 Wines of Australia 2019)
This is a much anticipated vintage for St. Henri, and it does not disappoint. The complexity of fruit here is stunning, together with a very complex and playfully fragrant, spicy edge with graphite, roasted coffee and woody spices, framing a core of very fresh blackberries, red and dark cherries and blueberries. So fresh and brimming with fruit aromas.

The palate has a stunning array of deeply fleshy fruit flavors with a superb sense of length and powerful, ripe tannin, underpinning vibrant, fleshy fruit that is beautifully assembled in a refined, elegant and impressively pure mode. So long and pure. Silky and elegant. A real masterpiece, taking its place among the finest vintages like 2010, 1990 and 1971. Drink over the next three decades.

98 Points, Andrew Caillard MW
Medium deep colour. Lovely fragrant claret style wine with exuberant fresh red cherry, redcurrant, mulberry, cassis aromas and roasted walnut complexity. Well concentrated and generous with inky cassis mulberry fruits, smooth velvety tannins, attractive viscosity and richness on the mid-palate and fine integrated acidity.

Finishes powdery firm with superb mineral length. A hugely evocative wine; true to the original blueprint, spirit of style and the classic Penfolds multi-regional template. Delicious to drink now but should age beautifully. Drink to: 2040.