1992 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz

Notes sourced from Southcorp wines.

The Bin 389 style evolved as a result of experiments, by Max Schubert, in the 1950s to develop a highly individual wine using a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz with compatible oak treatment. In making the Bin 389 style, the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon can vary between 60 and 75 per cent depending on vintage conditions. Bin 389 combines the elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of Shiraz and demonstrates the traditional Penfolds' trademark - perfect balance between fruit and oak, to produce a wine with rich varietal characters and cellaring potential. All these features combine to give Bin 389 its reputation for quality and value for money.

The wine was matured in American oak barrels for 16 months. The 1992 Penfolds Cabernet Shiraz Bin 389 shows a very good depth of crimson-red. The bouquet displays a lifted complexity of ripe Cabernet berry fruit, light spicy Shiraz and opulent vanillin oak. A result of the traditional Penfolds approach to barrel fermentation and maturation. A typical full bodied Bin 389, it has a symphony of soft, generous flavours that are complex, rich and powerful. The Shiraz contributes to the soft mid-palate, while the Cabernet provides the tight structure, great length and a firm tannin finish.A worthy successor to the highly successful 1990 and 1991 vintages, it is a richly flavoured wine with lovely complexity and harmony. Given the excellent concentration and sweetness of fruit, the wine hasa pleasant softness now contributing to its instant appeal. However, it has the weight and structure to handsomely reward long term cellaring to produce another classic wine in the traditional Bin 389 style.13.6% alcohol volume.