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2014 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz

South Australia, AUSTRALIA
$74. 99
Bottle
$899.88 Dozen
Cellar: 8 - 10 Years (2024-2026)
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Stelvin

Bin 389 is often referred to as ‘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, by the legendary Max Schubert, this was the wine that helped to forge Penfolds solid reputation with red wine drinkers combining the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of Shiraz.
A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Shiraz the wine was matured for 12 months in American oak hogsheads of which 53% was new, 27% one year old and 20% two year old.
Superb colour saturation displaying an impenetrable inky black core with a very deep dark purple black hue. The nose shows excellent intensity with aromas of liquorice, ripe blackberries and blackcurrant filling the olfactory senses. Nuances of dark chocolate, earthy vanillin oak and spice follow on. Bold and very rich the wines opulence only tempered by a solidly built structure. Mouth filling flavours of ripe blackberries, liquorice and blackcurrant saturate the palate followed by vanillin oak, confectionary and spicy pepper. A firm tannin structure holds everything in check and is perfect balance with the fruit. Long powerful conclusion of ripe blackberry, liquorice, blackcurrant, spicy vanillin oak and subtle earth. A top example of Bin 389.
Cellar 8-10 years.
Alc 14.5%

Other Reviews….
First made in '60, and for long called ?poor man's Grange', a strange name for a $90 wine. It's always been a varietal and regional blend, once matured in hand-me-down Grange barrels, but no longer. There is much conjecture about the amount of Dom Perignon made each year, and the same is true of this wine. A bottle number could cause embarrassment. It's seriously good, its palate of black fruits, licorice, oak and earth held tight by tannins as only Penfolds can make. Drink by 2044.
96 points
James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion