[SOLD-OUT] Penfolds Bin 389 2011

Jancis Robinson 17.5/20 Points!
Bin 389 is often referred to as 'Poor Man's Grange' or '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. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Shiraz, from McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. 12 months in 30% new, 70% 1-year-old American oak hogsheads. TA 6.3 g/l, pH 3.63. According to Gago, this is the wine that Penfolds winemakers buy most, and it vies with Grange for the title of most-cellared Australian red.

Very dark. Rich fruit, the oak in the background. Cassis and blackberry. Some declassified Grange and 701 in this year. Some red barrel ferment. Very Cabernet on the palate, fresh refined cassis. There's a really fine tight structure of acid and tannin but filled out with the beautifully juicy fresh fruit. Long. Gago suggests this 2011 should be broached before the 2008 and 2010 vintages. (JH)
Jancis Robinson Purple Pages, 28 Feb 2014

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Campbell Mattinson 92 points!
51% cabernet, 49% shiraz. McLaren Vale and Barossa. It's such an important wine in the Penfolds portfolio and indeed in the red wine release calendar.

In a tough year, it has come up with a result as good or better than could be expected. Loganberries, boysenberries, tamed blackcurrant, mint and smoky/cedary/chocolatey oak. Assertive but well shaped and appropriate tannin. Lengthy. Medium-bodied. It will age well enough, and for long enough, to fit snugly into the Bin 389 lineage.
Wine Front, 28th February 2014.

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Tyson Stelzer 94 points!
"A lesser Bin 389, though testimony to the power of blending to rescue a difficult season, with almost the entire production of what would have been Bin 707 in the blend. This is a Bin 389 of structure, elegance and vibrancy more than flesh. The bouquet leads out closed, slowly opening into subtle, tangy red berry, red cherry, curry powder and pepper notes. The palate is taut, savoury, astringent and edgy, reminiscent of dried herbs, pepper, exotic spice, red cherries and tangy redcurrants of impressive line, integrity and persistence. It promises to be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage, with a firm and finely structured tannin profile and elevated acidity making for a grippy and structured finish. A blend of 51% cabernet sauvignon and 49% shiraz from McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley, matured for 12 months in 30% new and 70% one-year-old American oak."
Tyson Stelzer, Wine Taste Weekly Special Edition 141 - Penfolds Icon and Bin Release

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Country:

Australia

Region:

SA-(Other)

Variety:

Wine Red - Cabernet blend

Size:

750mL