Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz 2002

Saturated ruby color. A seductive bouquet displays fresh red berry and candied cherry aromas, with complicating notes of vanilla, incense and tobacco. Lush, creamy raspberry and cassis flavors are firmed by dusty tannins and given spine by a zesty mineral quality. Becomes smokier and gamier on the finish, with the cherry and vanilla notes repeating. Nothing modern about this wine.

Sweet blackberry and raspberry flavors come up against tannins with the flavor of black mushrooms and black raspberry seeds. This is lean and austere in the end, needing time to develop more depth of expression.

Tart, juicy style has a smoky edge to the mineral- and pepper-tinged blackberry flavors. Finishes with fine tannins. Best from 2006 through 2012.

Gamy flavors intrude on the ripe berry core in this supple, generous red, but the fruit and spice character wins out in the end, and the finish lingers expressively. Best from 2010 through 2016.

The 2006 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz was made primarily from Barossa Valley fruit. It was aged for 12 months in seasoned American oak hogsheads. Aromas of soy, pepper, lavender, blueberry, and licorice lead to a medium to full-bodied, fleshy wine with layers of spicy black fruit, enough structure to evolve for 4-6 years, and a lengthy finish. Drink this nicely priced wine from 2013 to 2021.

Soft and open-textured, an elegant style of Shiraz, with pretty cherry and pepper aromas and flavors that echo gently on the supple finish.

Although its fruit core is of mixed black and red plums, its dark soil, ink and oak accents make this Shiraz feel a bit like a hefty, swarthy bruiser. Still, it's approachable now, and quite steak-appropriate with its medium-full mouthfell and charred oak finish.