The Auswine Forum

Hi guys

Polished off my second to last 93 St Henri that i picked up for a song years ago at a wine shop closing down sale

I bought 4 bottles over all and the first two showed very powerfully and seemed to go against all I read about the 93 being an early drinking vintage. However last night at 12 years old, this wine is finally at its peak (I have stored it at 12oC), still plenty of primary fruit, lovely gentle complexity and balance. I was really impressed with what on paper is a weaker vintage, and it went a treat with rare-med-rare steak.

As some who read my prattlings know I also like the 01, also loved the 94 which I tried touring in Aussie years ago. Was in a booze barn yesterday and amazingly they had some 98 still available, so I snapped up a couple of bottles as I am becoming more and more a fan of this style of shiraz. I have been trolling through my notes, but appears I have never tried the 98 St Henri - tried every other 98 Pennies you care to name, but looks like no St Henri.

Anyone tried it recently? Any impressions/ ideas as to optimum drinking window??? I see ROP says to 2028, anyone agree?

Cheers



Craig

HI Craig,

Personally, I think drinking any St Henri before it's 15th birthday is missing the point about this wine (vintage variations aside).

ROP would put the '98 optimum drinking window correctly for my palate. I prefer the secondary leather/earth characteristics of the St Henri over it's primary fruit flavours.
A vertical 2 years ago of Grange & St Henri spanning back 30 years confirmed it as both wines age remarkably well, you've just got to appreciate them. The last St Henri I had was a '77, and it was awsome!

Rory

Thx Rory, Yeah I feel the 93 will last a bit longer, though now entering its drinking window. Always good to hear from those who have tried some older vintages - i am reasonably patient, with the odd lapse of self control but hopefully a few of my reds will last to maturity!!

I have put 2 bottles away for my daughters 21st so plan to drink them at the 21 yr mark. Daughters did well to be born in a top australasian vintage.

I have found that many top 98 shiraz are disturbingly 'soft' and as such I wonder about their long term future.

Hawkes Bay also was a bit like that in 98, though now that they are losing their puppy fat, many of them look as though they will age very well. Sometimes it is just really difficult to judge a wine on release!

In the end pedigree is a pretty good guide. If you get a top label from a top vintage, and store it well, you are definately increasing your odds. This may seem a bit of an 'automatic' and 'arbitrary' means of selection, but in the end I dont think its any more hit and miss than a judgement made tasting on release.

On tasting the 98 coleraine, I wasnt convinced it was the long term wine that the winery was touting. 20 years they said. I just wasnt sure, the structure didnt really show. it seemed 'too soft', 'too fruit driven'. I bought it anyway based on the 'top vintage, top producer' maxim. Recent tastings suggest it is evolving very slowly - so if i bought on just my gut instinct/ expert (sic) judgement, i may have passed it by. Maybe it will do 20 years after all.

I am not one who subscribes to the romantic and elitist 'the longer it cellars the better is the wine' theory. I feel drink the wine at its optimum age where ever that may be, so usually this sort of talk is nothing more than academic to me. If it ages quicker than expected just drink it earlier 'who cares'! However in this case, an anniversary wine, cellar life is a big consideration to get a wine that will be attractive in 15 years time, not only to the connoisseur aka macabre lover of decayed relics, but to more mainstream palates.

For example if I thought that in 13 years time the 98 coleraine was going to taste like the 85 coleraine tastes now , id knock the top off them now - im not interested in skeletal, thin, browning graceful old ghosts. Neither am I interested in wines that will be worth more than my car when I go to open them.

C.

Craig,

You must own some car!

ok slightly over exaggerated - my car is the perfect wine touring car. big boot for luggage and several cases of wine. a back seat for kids and 280 bhp to haul it up the hill from Hawkes Bay to Taupo while still maintaining the ability to overtake logging trucks.

But you know those wines that get so expensive you feel guilty almost drinking them? im in no need of any more of them!

C.

Craig will be buying the 02 Bins at inflated prices when they hit their peak .

Craig(NZ) wrote:Hi guys

As some who read my prattlings know I also like the 01, also loved the 94 which I tried touring in Aussie years ago. Was in a booze barn yesterday and amazingly they had some 98 still available, so I snapped up a couple of bottles as I am becoming more and more a fan of this style of shiraz. I have been trolling through my notes, but appears I have never tried the 98 St Henri - tried every other 98 Pennies you care to name, but looks like no St Henri.

Anyone tried it recently? Any impressions/ ideas as to optimum drinking window??? I see ROP says to 2028, anyone agree?

Cheers
Craig

The last time I tried it was almost two years ago now: it was very tightly-knit and more restrained than the 1996; a touch greener/spicier and without the plush tobacco/rich chocolate/truffle characters of the latter. The 1990 at the Cos offline last week somehow reminded me of the 1998 in its structure and focused intensity, so if that's a guide I'd also expect it to be a cellaring special.

1998 Penfolds St Henri:Like the 1999, no crusting, and quite closed at first, with hints of smoked meats, aniseed, opening up to some violets. With futher breathing, the bouquet opens and closes, oscillating between dark chocolate, smoky meats, pretty violets, and fresh blackberries in varying strengths at any time. The palate follows the same theme; smoked meats, aniseed, dark chocolate, blackberries, hints of soy, and some eucalyptus and musk, with the perfumed intensity almost breathing in and out like a live beast. The structure is very approachable, and the very fine tannins drive a pleasant, long finish, that you just know will get even better with age. Just maybe a little better than the 1999, but somehow the memory of that sexy 1996 still seems just that bit better again. (14/7/2003)

Cheers
Ian

If you do open one early, give it a full decant and spend a good time absorbing every glass like I did last time. Oh, and make sure you post the tasting notes!

Cheers
Ian