Penfolds Bin 389 2005

James Halliday rating: 95

Another great Aussie!
Has plenty of depth and dimension. Will cellar for at least ten years and mature to a wonderful 389.
For a taste now, I recommend decanting, but careful cellaring will reward with a fanatsic wine.

I recommed checking http://www.penfolds.com.au for tasting notes from the wine makers, along with cellaring potential for all their wines.

June 2009

Color: Dense, dark red. Nose: At once elevated, the nose is separated from theothers in the Penfolds Bin family by the overt highnotes of its barrel fermentation contribution. Thisis archetypal Bin 389 with notes of Maraschinomarinated dark berries mixed with darkchocolate, bayleaf, black (Kalamata) olives androasting pan juices. Oak and charcuterie elementseffortlessly fill any aromatic gaps. Palate: The 2005 Bin 389 is complete, full and multidimensionalfrom start to finish, its weightcoupled with (understated) power, depth andlength. Ripe fig, blueberry and dark plum fruit read more...flavorssynergise to create an inky/dense palate with norough edges. The oak, and plush tannins are at onewith the wine, elliciting no one dominant featureand a seamless palate.This is stylistically a classic and complex Bin 389- a proud flag bearer of this traditional Australianstyle. Food pairings: Ideal with hearty meat dishes    (hide)

document.getElementById("NoProductImage").innerHTML = ""; Campbell Mattinson 96 points!"The one everyone always wants to know about though - is of course Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2005 ($58). No one in their right mind can call this wine disappointing. Indeed I reckon it's the best since the 1996. It's a wine of immense structured power. Sure there are rich flavours of plums- blackcurrant- smoky vanillin and tobacco- but really it's a wine about tannin and balance and grunt. I don't think I could enjoy drinking this right now (well- read more...I could- but only on masochistic nights) but I know that it will cellar like a dream. A classic in the making."Campbell Mattinson- WineFront. Super luscious- voluptuous black fruits- with an underlay of red rippling velvety tannins almost too much sweet fruit- but likely it's just puppy fat waiting to be shed. Rating 95 Drink 2029 Date Tasted Sep 07 James Halliday Wine Companion 2009 A genuine 389- whose sumptuous depth of vibrant dark fruit knits seamlessly with sweet chestnut/mocha/vanilla oak and a smooth- drying spine of loose-knit tannin. Deep and heady- it's scented with violets- liqueured cherries and dried herbs and steeped in flavours of dark plums- blackberries and cassis. Ripe but certainly not overcooked- it's supported by a creamy structure of firm- loose-knit tannins- finishing with lingering fruit and a dusty mouthfeel. (South Australia- 18.7/95- drink 2017-2025) Jeremy Oliver Listen to Penfolds Winemakers talk about Bin 389. Video by Penfolds wines Australia. Penfolds     Penfolds has been producing remarkable wines for almost 150 years and indisputably lead the development of Australian fine wine in the modern era. The introduction of Penfolds Grange Hermitage in 1951 forever changed the landscape of Australian fine wine- since then a series of standout wines - both red and white - have been released under the Penfolds masthead. PenfoldsBin 389Created by the legendary Max Schubert - creator of Penfolds Grange - Bin 389 is often referred to as 'Poor Man's Grange' or '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- this was the wine that helped to build Penfolds' solid reputation with red wine drinkers. Combining the structure of cabernet with the richness of shiraz- Bin 389 also exemplifies Penfolds' skill in balancing fruit and oak. A classic Australian style with a clear Penfolds identity. Penfolds    (hide)

October 2008

Still a baby which (according to the critics) will challenge the great 1998 - and that's saying something - 95/100

March 2009

- Tasted at Lee's Wine Experience 11/7/09

November 2009