Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz Year of Dragon 2021 1500ml
Jamessuckling.com | JS 94
Published: Jul 23, 2023
The 'mini Grange', as it is known. Robust, with a core of molten raspberry, blueberry, tea leaf and anise, juxtaposed against something that feels cooler and fresher and compelling enough to reach for the next glass. Very Australian of feel. I have had old vintages of this, some very old. They are inevitably a rewarding experience. The generous oak framework, apposite in lieu of this latent wine's immense potential. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.
The Wine Advocate | RP 93+
Published: Jul 20, 2023
The 2021 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz is creamy and densely packed with flavor (packed!), and the American oak is a core part of the wine, both aromatically and in the mouth. The fruit is from McLaren, Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Wrattonbully and Padthaway and comprises 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Shiraz. The cooler season has imbued the wine with a freshness and levity, which, if you asked me prior to tasting, I would have said it was impossible to imbue levity in the Bin 389! But there you have it. Epic intensity, present oak. Give it time. I have tasted 30-year-old Bin 389s in the past that have still been alive and fresh. So, the cellar is the place for this vintage. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
Drink Date: 2023 - 2063
Penfolds.com
Give an auspicious gift with Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz - three symbolises new beginnings, eight symbolises prosperity and nine symbolises longevity. Encapsulating a sentiment of luck and longevity, the Bin 389 1.5L magnum release makes a statement gift to be shared with friends and family this Lunar New Year.
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. Exemplifying the judicious balance of fruit and oak, Bin 389 highlights the generous mid-palate Penfolds is known for.