Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2020
97 POINT RATED ANDREW CAILLARD MW, DAVID SLY DECANTER, TONY LOVE & BOB CAMPBELL BABY GRANGE
- 97 Point Rated Andrew Caillard MW The Vintage JournalÂ
- 97 Point Rated David Sly Decanter MagazineÂ
- 97 Point Rated Bob Campbell The Real ReviewÂ
- 96 Point Rated Campbell Mattinson The Wine FrontÂ
Vintage: | 2020 |
Source/Region: | McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway |
Grape Variety: | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Cellaring: | Drink now or cellar up to 2050 |
Bottle Top: | Stelvin |
Alcohol Content: | 14.50 |
Standard Drinks: | 8.60 |
Rating: | 97 |
A well-defined focus on palate. Forward facing – line and length. The fascinating interplay between cabernet sauvignon and shiraz providing not only considerable length and structure, but also width and density. Result... completely filling the palate. Always anticipated, a trademark creamy Bin 389 mid-palate. A wine with much to offer even in the flush of youth. Complexing flavours: savoury nuances of freshly sliced fennel, pan wilted radicchio leaf and pickled turnips. Moroccan lamb backstraps on eggplant relish. Red liquorice and cherry provide a sweet counterpoint. Evolved tannins seamlessly drive the palate structure. Will last many decades, if you can wait that long.
South Australia experienced the second consecutive year of winter drought. Spring was cool and dry, conditions that continued well into November delaying flowering and fruit-set. With root-zone moisture levels well below average, irrigation was vital. Padthaway and the Barossa Valley experienced frosts in September that affected yields. The 2019 calendar year was the driest on record in the Barossa Valley. The beginning of summer was marked by a state-wide heatwave. In all, the Barossa Valley had 26 summer days recorded over 35°C. Conditions in January and February provided some welcome relief. McLaren Vale had above average rainfall in February, which ensured the vines were able to finish the remainder of the season in good shape. While bunch weights and berry numbers were low across the three regions, the harvest produced some outstanding parcels of grapes.
97 Point Rated - Andrew Caillard MW The Vintage Journal
"Deep crimson. Lovely blackberry, blackcurrant, dark plum aromas with roasted chestnut, chinotto, dark chocolate notes. Generously concentrated and beautifully integrated wine with plentiful blackberry, blackcurrant, fruits, fine slinky/ chocolatey, hint al dente/ bittersweet tannins, superb mid- palate volume, some inky complexity, lovely mocha/espresso oak notes and fresh long juicy acidity. Builds up claret firm with graphite minerally notes. Very impressive extract, denisity and torque. A reference Penfolds wine. Mclaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Padthaway. 12 months maturation in American (33% new) and seasoned oak hogsheads. Drink 2025 - 2038. "
97 Point Rated - David Sly Decanter Magazine
"The superb quality of fruit allocated in this luscious blend - dubbed by many as 'baby grange' - represents probably the best value to be found in the Penfolds portfolio and is the shining star of the reds in the 2022 Collection. Its rich and plush mixture of plum, black cherry and mulberry flavours are slapped into line by a stern tannin drill sergeant, so that it finishes cleanly and absolutely correctly. Generous, approachable and complete, it tells a very satisfying wine story. Released at A $100/bottle. Drinking window 2022 - 2045"
97 Point Rated - Bob Campbell The Real Review
"Generously proportioned cabernet shiraz blend with layer upon layer of concentrated dark berry, cassis, charcuterie, five spice and dark chocolate supported by firm, mouth-gripping tannins that suggest it will be a long distance-runner. Wonderfully complex wine with Cabernet playing a slightly dominant role."
97 Point Rated - Tony Love
96 Point Rated - Huon Hooke The Real Review
"Very deep, saturated red-purple colour, the bouquet is very 389: neither variety dominates and the Cabernet component is ripe and of the less-aromatic style. (Very different to the Bin 407 Cabernet style) Very concentrated and rich, gripping and powerful, with lashings of persuasive tannins and good length. Mouth-coating, tongue gripping tannins, but not unbalanced. A serous red wine indeed. (McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway; 51% Cabernet, 49% Shiraz)."
96 Point Rated - Campbell Mattinson The Wine Front
"Grapes sourced from Padthaway, McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. 51% cabernet sauvignon, 49% shiraz. 12 months in American oak, 33% new.
Such a solid, svelte release, as seamless and accessible as I’ve seen a new-release Bin 389 though with the tannin and overall stuffing to go long term. There’s as much plum as blackcurrant here, as much finesse as grunt, though perhaps its most distinguishing trait is the exceptional length though the finish. The palate is plush, the finish is drenched in both flavour and tannin, and yet everything here feels meticulous."
96 Point Rated - Tyson Stelzer
95 Point Rated - James Halliday Wine Companion
"A blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz (51/49%) sourced from vineyards in McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Padthway. Matured for 12 months in American hogsheads (33% new). Coming back to this Australian battler after Penfold's Napa and Bordeaux trials was something of a rude shock in the first instance. This is big, bold, beautiful and quintessentially Australian. It makes no apologies for its wealth of black fruits, almost succulent tannins, and vanillin oak."
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