1964 Penfolds St. Henri Claret 1 Pint 6 Fl. Oz. (Approx. 739ml)

Overview

This exceptionally rare 1964 St. Henri comes from the formative commercial era of one of Australia's most historically important Shiraz labels. More than six decades old and professionally inspected and topped up at the Penfolds Red Wine Clinic in 2006, this bottle is offered primarily for its exceptional history, documented maintenance and serious collector appeal.

Historical Significance

St. Henri is Penfolds' time-honoured alternative expression of Shiraz and an important stylistic counterpoint to Grange. First commercially released with the 1957 vintage, it became distinctive among Australia's leading red wines for avoiding reliance on new oak.

Traditionally matured for approximately 15 to 18 months in seasoned large vats, St. Henri allowed Shiraz to remain the focus while acquiring minimal overt oak character. The label maintained this individual style despite changing fashions and later became one of the most respected and collected names in Australian wine.

Historic Label and Bottle Format

The original period label identifies the wine as “St. Henri Claret” and bears the Auldana Cellars name together with the designation “Special Vintage”. These historic details reflect the terminology and presentation used by Penfolds during this early period of St. Henri production.

The bottle is labelled “1 Pint 6 Fl. Oz.”, an historic Australian imperial measure equivalent to approximately 739ml. It therefore predates the adoption of today's standard 750ml format.

Penfolds Red Wine Clinic Provenance

This bottle was inspected and topped up at the Penfolds Red Wine Clinic in 2006. The clinic record provides important evidence that the bottle received professional assessment and maintenance approximately 42 years after its original vintage.

Bottle Condition

• Fill Level: Base of neck
• Label: Minor label damage and minor staining
• Additional Detail: Some writing on the label
• Clinic Record: Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2006
• Clinic Treatment: Inspected and topped up

Specifications

• Vintage: 1964
• Producer: Penfolds
• Historic Label Name: St. Henri Claret
• Label Designation: Special Vintage
• Historic Cellar Name: Auldana Cellars
• Variety: Shiraz
• Region: South Australia
• Country: Australia
• Labelled Capacity: 1 Pint 6 Fl. Oz.
• Approximate Metric Capacity: 739ml
• Traditional Maturation: Approximately 15 to 18 months in seasoned large oak vats
• Alcohol: 13.5-14.5%
• Sweetness: Dry
• Collecting Focus: Historic Australian wine with documented clinic maintenance