2018 PENFOLDS ST HENRI SHIRAZ SOUTH AUSTRALIA

(99 Points) The finest vintage I've ever tasted, surpassing even the incredible 2016 (time will tell, anyways), the 2018 Shiraz St. Henri is, as always, a multi-region blend yet is mostly Barossa Shiraz, and the aging is always in larger oak vats. (Don't tell anyone, but I often prefer St. Henri to Grange.) The 2018 is absolutely brilliant, revealing a saturated purple hue to go with a smorgasbord-like array of ripe blueberries, mulberries, iron, lavender, sage, and ground pepper. It has an almost bloody, salty character and is full-bodied, massively concentrated, opulent, and rich yet stays flawlessly balanced, has sweet tannins, and has a great finish. It's certainly more open and assessable compared to the 2016 at this same stage, but this awesome Shiraz will evolve gracefully for another 2-3 decades, if not longer. Bravo.  Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 10/2023