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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 228 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by barryjkeller@gmail.com on 4/15/2024: Initially porty. Did open some after an hour-ish. Next day porty again. (371 views) | | | Tasted by David Meddings on 1/1/2024 & rated 91 points: Dark garnet. Cassis nose with some oak. Palate shows cassis again with sweetness perhaps slightly too prominent although there is an acidic spine that balances and lifts the wine through the mid-palate and medium length final. Medium to generous body. Tannins well integrated although oak is perhaps too prominent here for some.
Very enjoyable and drinking well. I doubt it will improve much although it will be interesting to see if there is some further resolving of the oak notes. (693 views) | | | Tasted by J Pas on 10/14/2023 & rated 92 points: Very nice cab/shiraz. Drinking well now but likely has 3-5 years left in it (1021 views) | | | Tasted by graemeg on 8/2/2023: NobleRottersSydney - 2010 & prior (Fix, St James, Sydney): {cork, 14.5%} [DavidH] Blackberry and Ribena nose with subtle vanilla oak. A bit of a formula, but it works. Palate of black fruit, faint coconut. Doesn’t have the 20-year integration you used to find in last century’s vintages; lacks the polish somehow. Medium/full weight, low/medium powdery tannins. Medium length finish, but in a rough-and-ready way I don’t associate with this label. No real rush to drink this, but will it ever lose the edges? (1506 views) | | | Tasted by AKC on 7/22/2023 & rated 94 points: Beautiful 389. It needed to breath for 90 minutes. It had a slight bottle odour that disappeared completely with breathing. The wine still is a deep dark red colour. The wine was balanced with identifiable Cabernet flavours and drying tannins. It had lovely richness but not overripe. Drinking really well now and will hold up for at least another 5+ years (1266 views) | | | Tasted by wineshaman on 4/14/2023 & rated 94 points: Decanted with surprisingly light sediment, last tasted over 7 years ago, bottle#6 of 7.
This bottle was spot on tonight, though initially quite tart it quickly evolved to show a complex assortment of fruit, minerals and toasty oak, with a smooth, extremely long pleasant finish. According to CT, this bottle has been personally cellared since 12/07 and to the best of my recollection has not moved since. I will not be in a hurry to drink my last bottle (1693 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 4/11/2023: After tasting this with the Coravin quite recently I thought I'd give it a good angry decant to see if some of that reticence could be blown away...fortunately it could and this displayed ripe berries, plums, touch of blackcurrant, plenty of vanilla and caramel oak with sweet spices in support, generous and ripe. One of those bottles that seems to evaporate before the eyes... (1698 views) | | | Tasted by GuBe on 2/18/2023 & rated 92 points: Ţvílík sorg ađ ţetta skuli hafa veriđ síđasta flaskan. Síđast smakkađ 2014, ţá mjög gott. Nú enn betra. Mjög fjölbreytt angan. Sterkir kirsuberjatónar í bragđi, einnig vanilla og kókos. Langt og ţétt eftirbragđ. Hefđi örugglega enst nokkur ár enn. (1191 views) | | | Tasted by Aussiechic on 2/9/2023: Fantastic wine
Dickie thought it was gone off but it was beautiful (988 views) | | | Tasted by Stoic Warrior on 2/8/2023: I have always had a problem with Penfolds; IMO they produce far too many different cuvees and bottlings for me to discern any identifiable house style or give me any reason to buy the Penfolds brand without confusion. Chatters provided me this chance to experience their main mid market "baby Grange". This was a pleasant blend, more cab cassis and plums than shiraz black fruits, pepper or spice. Pleasant. Medium in both mouth feel and length. (Thanks Chatters.) (1015 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 2/8/2023: Cellartracker in the flesh with Stoic Warrior (Donald) (Fix St. James, 111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney): From Coravin. Quite reticent initially with touches of clumsily adjusted acidity but opens to show ripe black fruit - blackberry and plum with a hint of raisin, plenty of sweet spice and a little caramel and vanilla. A little tannic burr. Hmm. (887 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 12/31/2022 & rated 92 points: Cork crumbled but underneath was a classic Bin 389, loads of black and red currants, some spicy notes, plenty of structure, fully mature but no rush. (695 views) | | | Tasted by corkcellar on 12/25/2022 & rated 92 points: Absolutely spectacular. Fruit is wonderfully intergrated. Colour and palette left no hint of cresting down. (592 views) | | | Tasted by swiftr on 12/21/2022 & rated 89 points: Some bottle variation from this case, but this was a lovely wine. Lots of perfume and fruit. Excellent with roast chicken and then cheese. More like a good mid-level Bordeaux (cru bourgeois and then some) than a big Barossa Shiraz, fairly reflecting the Cabernet dominance. Not as complex as a top Bordeaux, with softened tannins, but pure pleasure to drink. (700 views) | | | Tasted by swiftr on 12/21/2022 & rated 89 points: Some bottle variation in the last 2 or 3 from this case, but this one was lovely. Lots of fruit & perfume. Not very complex, but a very enjoyable wine with chicken and then cheese. More like a good Bordeaux rather than a big Barossa Shiraz, though without the detailed side tastes of a top level Bordeaux. Pure pleasure—not to be underestimated. (681 views) | | | Tasted by mhellyer65 on 12/11/2022 & rated 90 points: Cork in great shape, not many lees in bottle. Decanted and left it for 30 mins. Superb wine - smooth on the palate, full flavour expected of this blend. Will hold for years to come. (762 views) | | | Tasted by Renny on 11/9/2022 flawed bottle: Bought 8 bottles in 2008 and put in wine cooler at 55 degrees. Drank 5 by 2015 and all ok. tried to open 1 today and cork crumbled, spoiled. Remaining two were the same. not sure if they were originally bad or if they would have been ok if I had not forgotten them. (910 views) | | | Tasted by RichardsEric1 on 10/18/2022 & rated 91 points: Definitely a lot of memories with every 389 I drink. This vintage is a departure from the 2001-2003 style. Doesn't have the huge punch of past 389s.
Color. Dark inky red.
Nose. Cinnamon, Cinnamon red hots, blackberries, cassis, tobacco, vanilla. Very restrained at first.
Palate. Thick, inky, blueberries, thin tannins, a little acidity. Very restrained.
1 hour later. It's turning into a monster. Denser, chewier, and better. Very enjoyable now. (910 views) | | | Tasted by swiftr on 7/27/2022 & rated 90 points: Great relief—after the dead bottle last time. This was in perfect condition with lots of Cabernet dominated fruit and considerable length and intensity. No hurry to drink the rest of the case: I suspect it might gain more complexity. For now, this bottle was wholly pleasurable but had not quite developed the tertiary characteristics or depth of a fully mature 389. Even if it does not, it is pure hedonism in a glass. (1368 views) | | | Tasted by Otis Wine Lover on 7/3/2022 & rated 92 points: Drinking beautifully right now! Deep garnet color, almost black; aromas of dark fruit, cedar, and light spice notes. Medium bodied, with flavors of red and black currants, cassis, vanilla, wood, and hints of spice box. Very smooth and refined tannins. Lingering finish of fruit, hints of wood, and spice. Decanted, and continued to evolve and open up over the next 2+ hours. Very refined and mature; I remember the first bottle I tasted back in its youth, full of exuberance and energy. Now, after 15 years in the cellar, has evolved into an elegant, refined, lovely “Grand Dame”! (1276 views) | | | Tasted by swiftr on 7/3/2022 flawed bottle: Dried out, no fruit left. Not at all as 389 should be. I hope it’s just an odd bottke, since I have several more of the same vintage. Stored in a cool, dark cellar. (1178 views) | | | Tasted by archambault on 4/17/2022 & rated 80 points: Bouchonneux! (1416 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 2/19/2022 & rated 92 points: Thankfully I still have a few left of this beauty, rich black fruit, subtle but persistent vanilla oak, rich and long, lovely on its own but even better with food, especially rare meat. (1610 views) | | | Tasted by kfjincott on 2/9/2022: Gift to Dave (1522 views) | | | Tasted by Raki on 1/19/2022 & rated 89 points: Cork in perfect condition as I would expect from careful cellaring. The wine is still very youthful, quite a surprise. Wish I held on for longer. The Cabernet component dominates, the structure holding firm and showing no sign of wavering. A tasty wine for sure, but was overshadowed by a Runrig that was opened alongside it. (1627 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
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About Us
Australia's winemaking history of less than two hundred years is brief by European measures though, like Europe, punctuated by periods of extreme success and difficult times. From the earliest winemaking days Penfolds has figured prominently and few would argue the importance of Penfolds’ influence on Australia’s winemaking psyche.
Without the influence of Penfolds the modern Australian wine industry would look very different indeed. Sitting comfortably outside of fad and fashion, Penfolds has taken Australian wine to the world on a grand stage and forged a reputation for quality that is without peer.
Penfolds’ reputation for making wines of provenance and cellaring potential might suggest a mantle of tradition and formality is the preferred attire of a company with so much history to defend. But to label Penfolds as simply an established and conventional winemaker, would be to confuse tradition with consideration and to overlook the innovative spirit that has driven Penfolds since its foundation, and continues to find expression in modern times.
If there is anything traditional about Penfolds, it is the practice of constantly reviewing the wines it already does well, and continuously evolving and refining styles as vineyards mature and access to ever older and more varied vineyard sites improves.
Making The Best Possible Wine
At Penfolds, the role of the winemaker is to make the best possible wine within the constraints of each vintage. Penfolds’ house style emerged from a fortified-wine producing culture and evolved as a winemaking philosophy – a way of making wine – which has had a profound effect on the entire Australian wine industry.
The concept of multi-regional and vineyard blending, a feature of the Penfolds house style, is an amplification of the ‘all-round wine’. Without the constraints of a single vineyard, winemakers could choose the best possible fruit with the outstanding characteristics of each vineyard.
While American oak has played a central role in the development of Penfolds red wines, French oak has been increasingly used in the evolution of new wines – particularly RWT and Yattarna. Maturation in oak, which follows fermentation, is also key to the Penfolds house style.
The Penfolds approach to winemaking has percolated through the entire Australian wine industry over the last 50 years. The techniques employed in research and development of Penfolds wines are remarkable and many of the discoveries and innovations have had a lasting impact on winemaking thinking.
Winemakers
In Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, Penfolds has nurtured four of Australia's great winemakers. They have passed the Chief Winemaker’s baton of responsibility for crafting some of Australia's most iconic wines, down through the past six decades.
Joining Peter Gago in the Penfolds winemaking team are Senior Red Winemaker Steve Lienert, Senior White Winemaker Kym Schroeter, and Red Winemakers Andrew Baldwin, Adam Clay, Stephanie Dutton and Matt Woo - also the Penfolds Fortified Winemaker. All members of the Penfolds winemaking team ensure that Penfolds’ reputation for outstanding quality is upheld.
Vineyards
Barossa Valley
Penfolds draws fruit from a combined vineyard area of 618 hectares in the Barossa region of South Australia. The Barossa is about 70 kilometres north of Adelaide and in 1911 Penfolds established a winery at Nuriootpa, completed in time for the 1913 vintage. The Barossa region is known for its relatively low rainfall with many vineyards dry grown on single wire trellising.
Magill Estate
The historic and heritage-protected Magill Estate Vineyard was established in 1844 by Dr Christopher Rawson and Mary Penfold—just eight years after the foundation of Adelaide. It was originally known as the Grange Vineyard, named after their new homestead ‘The Grange’, a cottage which still stands intact amongst the vines.
Eden Valley
Joseph Gilbert planted the first vines in the Eden Valley in 1842 and since that time the region has become synonymous with producing elegant riesling and complex shiraz. While its name suggests a concave nature, Eden Valley is actually a wide ridge, situated east of the Barossa Valley with an altitude ranging from 440 – 550 metres.
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is located approximately 40km to the south of Adelaide, with the vineyards in the region located between 6 and 15 kilometres from the Gulf of St Vincent. The elevation ranges from 50 to 350 metres above sea level. Penfolds has company owned vineyards throughout the region, using the fruit as blending components for premium red wines such as Grange and Bin 389.
Coonawarra
Penfolds has had a long history with the Coonawarra region, dating back to their first vineyard purchase in 1960. It is one of the most famous red wine regions in Australia with weathered limestone terra rossa soils, relatively cool climate and overall water availability. Coonawarra has played a significant role in many of Penfolds' multi-regional wines as well as the single region wines such as Bin 128.
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion Winery Of The Year 2014: Penfolds
Penfolds is Australia’s foremost winemaker, with an unbroken line dating back to its establishment in 1844 when medical practitioner Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and wife Mary purchased ‘the delightfully situated and truly valuable of Mackgill … Comprising 500 acres (202 hectares) of the choicest land’. Here they built the house that still stands today, and within a few years had begun the winery and cellar on the site of today’s buildings at Magill Estate.
Mary took charge of winemaking, initially producing grenache prescribed by her husband as a tonic for anaemic patients. By 1870 she, son-in-law Thomas Hyland and cellar manager/winemaker Joseph Gillard had formed Penfolds & Co. With markets in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, their wine production was over one-third of South Australia’s total.
Growth continued unabated, and in 1945 Penfolds acquired the jewel of the Magill Vineyard, at that time the largest vineyard in South Australia. It now has 2100 hectares of vineyards, the largest share of Australia’s total. Two men came together in the 1950s to lay the foundation of Penfolds today: winemaker Max Schubert, and research chemist Ray Beckwith (who died shortly after his 100th birthday in 2012); indeed, their contribution transcended Penfolds to the entire Australian wine industry.
The architecture for the Penfolds wine portfolio of the twenty-first century was established in the 1960s, half a century ago. There has been growth, both in the range of labels and their price points, but it has been cleverly – indeed sensitively – managed; demand-driven growth has been achieved without any quality compromise whatsoever.
There is no possibility that the pre-eminence of Penfolds will ever be challenged by any other Australian wine business. Equally certain is that the Penfolds brand value will continue to gain ground on the world stage of all consumable products. If proof be needed, the overall quality of the wines in this Wine Companion is the best Penfolds has ever presented to the markets of the globe.
Author: James Halliday Jul 20132004 Penfolds Bin 389 Penfolds Tasting Note
Penfolds Bin 389The Rewards of Patience (7th Edition)
Vintage Label Cabernet Shiraz
2010 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 51% 49%
2009 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 51% 49%
2008 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 52% 48%
2007 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 54% 46%
2006 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
2005 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 52% 48%
2004 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 53% 47%
2003 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
2002 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 54% 46%
2001 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
2000 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1999 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1998 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 58% 42%
1997 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1996 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1995 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1994 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1993 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1992 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1991 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 67% 33%
1990 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1989 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1988 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1987 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1986 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 68% 32%
1985 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 52.5% 47.5%
1984 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1983 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1982 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1981 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1980 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1979 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1978 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1977 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1976 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1975 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1974 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1973 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1972 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1971 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1970 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1969 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1968 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1967 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1966 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1965 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1964 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1963 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1962 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1961 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1960 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
1959 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
Cabernet-Shiraz BlendA very popular blend in Australia-particularly from South Australia, where the two varietals work well together. The most famous of these would be the Penfolds Bin 389, considered Australia's most cellared wine. In years gone by this was referred to as "Baby Grange" as some of the wine used barrels from the vintage of Grange.
The 2018 Paternus states only McLaren Vale Shiraz (no Cab Sav).Australia Wine Australia (Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) | Australian Wines (Wikipedia)South Australia South Australian Wine Industry Association | South Australian Wines (Wikipedia) |
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