Rickety Bridge Shiraz

Tim Atkin 91 pts James Suckling 91 pts Platter's South African Wine Guide 4 stars

A bright clear medium ruby colour. The nose, starting with violets, evolves into blackberry and bramble. The palate is vibrant with a touch of complex spices, like freshly crushed black pepper and liquorice.

St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual amongst high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. Released for the first time by Penfolds in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957), it gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood. Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters with age. It is matured in an assortment of old large vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of cabernet may sneak into the blend, the focal point for St Henri remains shiraz.

The colour is deep red. On the nose you get nuances of plum, violets, cloves and tabacco. The mid-palate is juicy with prominent flavours of black cherries and dark chocolate and a long finish of red berries and espresso.