Collection: Penfolds St Henri | South Australian Shiraz

Penfolds St Henri — South Australian Shiraz

St Henri is one of Australia's most distinguished red wines and Penfolds' most important wine after Grange. First produced in 1957 by winemaker John Davoren at Auldana, St Henri is defined by a winemaking philosophy that stands in deliberate contrast to Grange: where Grange is matured in 100% new American oak hogsheads, St Henri is matured in large old oak vats — typically 1,500 to 3,000 litre capacity — that impart minimal oak influence and allow the fruit and tannin structure of the wine to speak without oak overlay.

The result is a wine of extraordinary elegance, restraint and longevity — a counterpoint to Grange that has developed its own devoted collector following over more than six decades of continuous production.

Why St Henri Matters

St Henri occupies a unique position in the Australian fine wine landscape. It is simultaneously a Penfolds wine — sharing the house philosophy of multi-regional blending and precision winemaking — and a wine with a distinct identity built around old-vat maturation, minimal oak influence and a style that rewards patience in the cellar. Collectors who appreciate Grange often find St Henri equally compelling for different reasons: where Grange is powerful and oak-driven, St Henri is structured, savoury and terroir-expressive.

St Henri is sourced from premium South Australian vineyards across Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and other key regions, assembled to achieve the consistency and depth that defines the Penfolds house style. It is produced in every vintage where fruit quality meets the required standard.

Winemaking Philosophy

The defining characteristic of St Henri is its maturation regime. Rather than new oak hogsheads, St Henri is aged in large old oak vats that have been used for many previous vintages. This approach preserves the primary fruit character of the wine, allows the natural tannin structure to develop without oak tannin addition, and produces a wine of greater transparency to its fruit sources. The philosophy was established by John Davoren and has been maintained through every subsequent custodian of the wine.

Cellaring

St Henri is built for long-term cellaring. Most vintages benefit from a minimum of five to ten years of bottle age, with the finest vintages capable of developing for twenty to thirty years or more. The wine's restrained oak regime and firm tannin structure make it one of the most age-worthy wines in the Penfolds portfolio. Older vintages regularly appear at auction and command strong prices among collectors.

Related Collections

Explore the full Penfolds range at Wine Sellers Direct, including Penfolds Grange and the broader Penfolds collection. Learn more about the producer on our Penfolds Authority Page →