Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2015
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2015
Dozen Price: $1055.88
RRP: $105.00
Deep dense magenta.
The very first impression? Instantly Penfolds. Some barrel-ferment nuances perhaps? A formic lift, V.A., regressive oak? Maybe all listed are guilty partners!
Higher notes reveal custard tart and brûlée, courting meaty pan-scrapings/juices. Yet beneath, a darker edge – black pudding, sweetbread, asphalt.
Moreover, not just an ‘offal’ offering – an aromatic veil of satsuma plum, fig and quince paste aromatics liberally sprinkled above.
Enticing, inviting. A taste continuum of assorted flavours and textures. A spoil of fruits meshed with a grain-like paste – chaff/oats/barley/wheat germ....
At once chewy and succulent, heightened by a mouth-watering acidity and overt 2015 ‘elongated’ tannins. Oak barely perceivable. An interesting ‘package’ whereupon nothing stands out! A ‘balanced completeness’!
Wine Specifications
Wine Specifications
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
Size: 750mL
Region: South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Vintage: 2015
Winery & Vintage Info
Bin 389 was often referred to as ‘Baby Grange’, in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. First made in 1960 by the legendary Max Schubert, this was the wine that helped forge Penfolds reputation with red wine drinkers by combining the structure of cabernet sauvignon with the richness of shiraz. Bin 389 also exemplifies the judicious balance of fruit and oak.
53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Shiraz from the regions of Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Robe, Padthaway. Maturation: 12 months in American oak hogsheads (32% new, 37% 1-y.o., 31% 2-y.o.)
Autumn and early winter rainfall were above the long-term average. Rain stopped abruptly in early August with only light showers observed throughout spring. The dry and cool spring period affected canopy growth early in the season. Warm and dry conditions during flowering and fruit-set resulted in rapid grapevine growth and early flowering. A high rainfall event occurred in Coonawarra in January, mostly falling outside of veraison, and February delivered weekend heat spikes. Wrattonbully had a warm and generally dry ripening end to the season which allowed for the development on strong varietal flavours.
Reviews & Accolades
“A classic vintage with brilliant aromatic complexity, proportion and balance. “Pound for pound”, probably the wine of the 2017 release.”
98 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
"53/47 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and shiraz. Sourced from an assortment of South Australian regions, Wrattonbully listed first on the marketing sheet. Matured in American oak for 12 months. Price is full RRP, prior to the usual discounting.
It’s a wine with a ‘wow’ introduction. It throws beautiful, beautiful aroma. It’s distinguished by it. It’s sweet, pudding-like, like fresh vanilla, like lemon delicious. I went to taste this wine and couldn’t get past the nose; I just wanted to go on enjoying its aromatics. It’s smells every bit Penfolds but every bit itself. The palate is true to established form, with blackcurrant and bay leaf notes rigged to a powerful motor of tannin. Creamy/vanillin oak gets on with business too but again the fruit stares it down. From every angle this is a belter of a Bin 389. It’s best consumed any time between now and the apocalypse, or thereabouts."
96 Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, October 2017, Drink: 2022 - 2035+
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