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2021 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet - Shiraz, South Australia (750ml)

  • $79.99
  • $54.75
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2021 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet - Shiraz, South Australia (750ml)

  • $79.99
  • $54.75

WINEMAKER'S NOTES:

A flawless integration of the two varietals, neither dominating but working together in harmony. The aroma descriptors deftly match the palate. Flavors of black fruit and red fruit compote abound. Cocoa powder sweetness adds weight to the substantial mid-palate. There are plenty of savory flavors to balance out the sweetness, with cold sliced salted beef, roast lamb cooking juices and cured pastrami. The tannins are fine, reminiscent of oolong tea, providing plenty of structure. The delicious fruit is married seamlessly with the creamy American oak. A fine seam of acid provides a refreshing lift on the finish.

TASTING NOTES:

Baby Grange gets its moniker as components of the blend are matured in the same barrels as the previous vintage of Grange. But with Cabernet Sauvignon the main player (53% in this vintage), it is more a Baby 707, especially as it always benefits from wine originally destined for that cuvée as well as Grange. A beauty of a beast, whose imposing tannin structure and abundantly ripe fruit need time. Powerful, inky blue and black berry fruits dominate the nose and palate, alongside bergamot freshness, earthy tapenade, exotic spices, iron filings and lots of black pepper. Coconut richness from 12 months in US oak hogsheads (37% new) and fine cocoa powder tannins add grip and linger long.

- Decanter, 95 pts. 

The 'mini Grange', as it is known. Robust, with a core of molten raspberry, blueberry, tea leaf and anise, juxtaposed against something that feels cooler and fresher and compelling enough to reach for the next glass. Very Australian of feel. I have had old vintages of this, some very old. They are inevitably a rewarding experience. The generous oak framework, apposite in lieu of this latent wine's immense potential. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.

- James Suckling, 94 pts. 

Rich, dense and succulent, with dark chocolate, black walnut liqueur, mocha and chocolate-covered maraschino cherry flavors that ooze generously on a plush frame. Accents of singed palo santo, tobacco leaf, black olive and baking spices linger on the long, expressive finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Drink now through 2037. 9,330 cases imported.

- Wine Spectator, 94 pts.

The 2021 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz is creamy and densely packed with flavor (packed!), and the American oak is a core part of the wine, both aromatically and in the mouth. The fruit is from McLaren, Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Wrattonbully and Padthaway and comprises 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Shiraz. The cooler season has imbued the wine with a freshness and levity, which, if you asked me prior to tasting, I would have said it was impossible to imbue levity in the Bin 389! But there you have it. Epic intensity, present oak. Give it time. I have tasted 30-year-old Bin 389s in the past that have still been alive and fresh. So, the cellar is the place for this vintage. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93+ pts. 

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