1998 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz

BACKGROUND
The first vintage of Bin 389 was in 1960, and was immediately dubbed, ‘Poor Man's Grange’. As with Bin 28, Bin 128 and 707, this wine was developed from Max Schuberts experiments in the 1950’s & 1960’s. Aside from Grange, this wine is the affordable flagship wine from Penfolds, and combines the Classic Australian combination of Cabernet and Shiraz. Today, this wine is sourced from a variety of vineyards in South Australia and is testament to the great interregional blending abilities of the Penfolds team. The wine consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Shiraz, which has spent 14 months in American oak, 22% of which was new.

VINTAGE CONDITIONS
The late start to the growing season in South Australia was due to the cool spring. However it was a season of few viticultural problems – generally free of frost and disease.

Tasting Note (19/11/2005):
This wine is evolving magnificently and is now beginning to reveal the benefits of bottle age.  Totally opaque black crimson colour with brick red hue.  Superb, lifted nose of violets, cedar, spice and old leather overlaid with vanilla, ripe plum and dark chocolate.  The palate is mouthfilling, again bottle age has added a layer of complexity with flavours of cedar, plum, old leather and dark chocolate emerging over a very spicy white pepper back palate.  The tannins are very fine and dry, perfectly balanced with very long spicy white pepper, plum and old leather aftertaste.  A wine that is drinking well now and will continue to evolve.
Alc/Vol: 14%
RATING: 98/100

First Tasted: February 2001
Totally opaque crimson colour with purple hues. Superb aroma, refined with notes of blackcurrant, cedar, spice and confectionery emerging. Elegant and sophisticated. Excellent palate weight and structure, with flavours of blackcurrant, spice and chocolate. Fine grained, perfectly balanced tannins, followed by very long, spice, blackcurrant aftertaste.An outstanding Bin 389 and together with the Bin 28 are the bargains of the 1998 releases.
Alc/Vol: 14%
RATING: 94/100

Retasted: May 2002
This wine is developing superbly and has emerged as one of the superstars of the 1998 vintage.
The colour has deepened over the last twelve months. The crimson purple hues have intensified with the purple now a totally opaque black. Superb perfumed aroma of violets, spice and liquorice. The palate takes one by surprise. The refined characteristics of last year have evolved substantially to reveal very distinct, totally mouthfilling, black pepper and spice flavours. Outstanding length and concentration with back palate flavours of dark chocolate and vanilla. The wine is developing magnificently. Fine dry, perfectly balanced tannins - softening but still with plenty of substance. Exceptionally long aftertaste of dark chocolate, liquorice and vanilla.
Alc./Vol: 14.0%
RATING: 97/100