1986 Penfolds Bin 389

Community Tasting Notes (6) Avg Score: 94.4 points

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  4/17/2024 - Neecies Likes this wine:

  Inky black, and picking up some soy sauce notes that foretell the end of days but still, a fun and friendly drink to share with an old friend who remembered this wine from our days together 30 years ago.

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  8/8/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine: 94 Points

  86 bin 389 is a wine i have not had for 20 years. I do remember always liking them though, especially the better vintages. Poorer vintages tended to be acidic and harsh. At this soiree it was outclassed by a 91 Katnook Odyssey and a "Timmy Bird Ethereal" 91 Mick Morris Durif but this was still a lovely drop. I do not think its going to age further and it had hints of green olive and green Cabernet leaf, which i have noticed in other 86 Penfolds wines. both 707 and the 86 Grange are a little green, but the rest of the wine is strong enough to hold it up. This 389 also had lovely mulberry, light bodied cassis, sweet earthy savory plate. Quite smooth and sweet in the mouth and ready to go but not falling over. typical Penny's nose and structure but not in an overdone way that some other stablemates suffer from. Just a damn good wine. Drink up.

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  11/16/2016 - MNig Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Blindverkostung mit Freunden. #5 Was für ein tolles Bouquet! Viele am Tisch haben den Wein ins Bdx verortet. Schwarzkirsche, Leder, Tabak, Zigarrenkiste, Graphit, Süßholz, Mokka, Zartbitterschokolade und Veilchen. Am Gaumen noch frisch und mit animierender Säure, ziseliertem, feinkörnigem Tannin und mittlerem Körper. Wahnsinnig elegant und sehr fein, mit Noten von Kirschen, Pflaumen, Zedernholz, Pfeffer, Leder, Süßholz und Veilchen. Sehr langer Nachhall. 12,5 Vol-%. Der hat sich wunderbar entwickelt.
  
  Blind tasting with friends. #5 What a wonderful bouquet! Quite a few tasters thought this was a Bordeaux. Black cherries, leather, tobacco, cigar box, graphite, licorice, mocha, dark chocolate and violets on the nose. Still quite lively acid with finely chiseled, fine-grained tannins and a medium body. Very refined and brilliantly sophisticated, with flavors of cherries, plums, cedar wood, black pepper, leather, licorice and violets on the palate. Very long-lasting finish. 12.5% abv. This wine has seen a great development and has still some life left. Third place, as wine of the night. Simply great.

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  5/27/2015 - RN Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Looking at the wine it is obviously aged but you would never guess it was almost 30 years old. Nose has reasonable fruit surprisingly with hints of American oak. This wine is lush, rich, even sumptuous. It has amazing mouth feel. It is much more pleasant drinking than a Grange of similar vintage from the 80's. At it's best now but still many years ahead. Love it!!

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  1/14/2013 - JerM wrote: 95 Points

  (NewYear Brunner w Mandy, Grace, Justina, Adel & Geoff @Mich&Bo's) [Parallel tasting with the 1998] Dark garnet in glass with very slight cloudiness. Nose shows dark dusty berries, plummy, grapey, leathery with fresh pine wood and eucalypt mints. Some pronounced ethylene sweetness in the structure, the taste also evokes white peppers, sweet blackberries, juicy cassis, roasted peppers, and menthol. Still surprisingly youthful, its savory structure is lightly held up with good acidity and gentle velvet tannins. Would have been unsettling with its power in its youth, but quite perfect now. Mushy and mushroomy undergrowth with minty eucalypts on the finish, with light dust and savory brands chicken essence, this bottle is pleasant and keeping good complexity and concentration. More cabernet driven than its 1998 cousin.

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