Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz is one of Australia’s most enduring red wine icons, first made in 1959 and named after the famous Kalimna vineyard in the Barossa Valley, purchased by Penfolds in 1945. A showcase for warm-climate Australian Shiraz — ripe, robust, and generously flavoured — Bin 28 is today a multi-region, multi-vineyard blend drawing on Padthaway, Barossa Valley, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, and Robe, with the Barossa always well represented. This 2009 Cellar Release is now drinking at its peak, offering the complexity and textural richness that only time in bottle can deliver. Decanting is strongly recommended to fully unleash what lies beneath.
Appearance
Dense core with a purple rim — still showing excellent depth and vitality for its age.
Aroma
Red fruits lead, with only a skerrick of detectable oak. A deconstructed sweet mince tart opens the nose — dates and prunes — before higher notes of brülée, bread and butter pudding, and cinnamon emerge. Throughout, a staggered, scented release of musk, bay leaf, and tobacco adds extraordinary aromatic complexity. Quite the aromatic chromatogram, as Chief Winemaker Peter Gago notes.
Palate
Raspberry and black fruits abound, alongside chocolate, black liquorice, and surprisingly nuanced hints of cold oyster sauce. Sleek tannins belie the wine’s textural plushness, whilst well-integrated, seasoned oak provides a balanced and harmonious framework.
Pairs With
Char-grilled Black Angus beef fillet with fondant potatoes, French beans, sautéed baby carrots, and truffle jus. A wine that deserves a worthy plate.
