Cellared since release. Level into the neck. Cork - broke on extraction. Would have been fine with an Ah-so. Deep garnet, with minimal bricking. Dark fruit, tobacco, leather, choc-mint. Medium weighted palate, with a mature richness. Lifted, spice note, desiccated coconut, seamless oak. Integrated tannins offer good structure in the background. This bottle was a treat.
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Decanted 1 hour prior - strong blackberry nose. Totally smooth palate with soft tannins but great length -, was falling a little a few hours later so decant and drink soon after - not dead but no need to further cellar
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This opened very well with a rich crimson red robe of colour and a nose of rich blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with touches of mint and tobacco. The palate has masses of fresh black fruits leading into a combination of fine tannins, tobacco and vanilla oak that is quite distinctively Penfolds. A very tempting and interesting glass of wine in an old fashioned South Australian style. The vigour of the fruit was quite remarkable.
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Great seal, Decanted for an hour, Massive nose of chocolate, mushroom, still a big wine but lovely structure and balance very long deep fruit, cassis, tobacco, truffle second to last bottle, perfect now but no rush to 2023
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Colour brick red colour , impenetrable density slight bricking on the edge , cork had minimal penetration 15/15 Nose good intensity ,unmistakably Penfold nose super complexity mushroom chocolate wild raspberry, mint coffee tobacco liquorice oaky spice coconut perfume 28/30 Palate super intense and follows on from the nose Rich smooth chocolate liquice,dark fruits long luxurious finish , still good tannins and acidity 42/44 Overall always a treat to drink mature Penfolds wines this wine showing more Cabernet flavours than Shiraz , just goes to show what a great year 1990 was 10/11
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The wine looks brick colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like mushroom, dust, espresso, medicinal, lead pencil, tobacco. It tastes like prune, dust, mushroom, espresso, lead pencil and tobacco. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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At 208 Restaurant Hong Kong Australia Day Rare Wine Lunch - from a UK sourced bottle I believe which was in excellent condition. Bin 389's staying power and ability to surprise on the upside never ceases to amaze me. Especially considering that this was probably sold for less than $20 when it was released it really does show that you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy a lovely mature wine. Served with Grange 1990 and Bin 90A and gave them both a run for their money.
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Decanted just some minutes before drinking, tasted blind. On the nose liquorice, black currant, leather and a bit meaty. On the palate dense and fresh, good balanced, long finish. Superb and in a very good state now but don't worry it will last for many more years.
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Level in to the neck. Cork had held a nice seal. No decant. Brown tinge to the garnet centre. Aromas of eucalyptus, leather, earth and distant black fruits. The palate is harmonious, gently wrapped in acids and fine, resolving tannins. It's in a comfortable, mature spot. Plenty of fine sediment.
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Medium light red. Very lively nose, eucalyptus, black cherry, wet earth and black currant. Delicious earthy dark fruit flavours, very balanced with out any ripeness or heat. A long dry tannic finish.
This bottle has shown a fair bit of development compared to a bottle a few years ago.
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From my 'old cellar'. I haven't bought a Penfolds wine since the 90's but I do enjoy trying these older wines from the good even years - 90, 96, 98 and even the 94. There has great intensity and complexity. I didn't decant and it just got better with air...much better the second night. The oak importantly was nice intergrated and supported by the fruit and lovely tannins. Still a lot of life ahead.
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Grapemates with Jon Mk.2: Licorice, oak, blackberry, tobacco and earth. Palate is quite high in acid, with good fruit lift still. Tried this 4 years ago and thought another 5 years would be good, but probably another 5 again would be no problem.
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Drank along side a 98. Both double decanted 2 hours before dinner. While the 98 was a very nice wine with great fruit and a long life ahead, the 90 killed it. Such a young vibrant wine for its age. has many many years ahead. You can comfortably leave it for another few years to try again. No hurry. A gem of a wine, despite coming from the penfold's stable...
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What an impressive wine. Double decanted 2 hours before dinner and it was still opening up. Lovely bright colour, beautiful nose, soft grainy tannins. Plenty of lovely fruit on the front that mounts all the way to the lingering, long finish. This wine has years ahead of it. While I am not a current Penfolds purchaser, this wine proves that they knew how to do it for a great price.
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Still deep ruby red - remarkable colour after 25 years. Youthful nose, with blackcurrent still evident. Lively month palate, with both black and sweet red fruits, pepper and spice. Beautifully integrated acid and tannin. No obvious signs of aged characteristics. A really elegant wine. Will try the next bottle in the car in five years' time!
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Otto - Pasta Charity Dinner: Intense nose of tobacco, blackberry, graphite and cocoa. Palate is extremely youthful still, there is plenty of dark fruit and fine but evident tannin. Another 5+ years wouldn't have done this bottle any harm.
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NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds Bin 389 1988-97 (Alio's, Surry Hills): [13.7%, cork] {Stephen} Developing bouquet, gorgeously ripe. Plums, chocolate, violets, meat, a touch of tar. No raisins, no prunes, no harshness. A superb palate too, most noticeable for its attention to all parts of the tongue. Medium powdery tannins frame spicy red fruits, acid is unobtrusive; it’s fine and polished on the palate; medium-bodied, with a long, lingering dry finish. Developing fruit at the perfection of ripeness really shows of the best of both grape varieties, wound together into a seamless whole. Superb, and with at least another ten years outstanding drinking ahead of it. For the $10 it cost on release, an outstanding effort.
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Level was low neck. Cork was sealing well. Bricking red appearance showing signs of age. Aromas of aging black fruits, with chocolate and hints of coffee and tobacco. Typical stamp of Penfolds on the palate - seamless integration of vanillin oak and tannins combine in a mid-weight package that (on this bottle) was probably just beyond it's peak.
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NobleRottersSydney - emergency Penfolds (Alio's, Surry Hills): [cork, 13.7%] {Gordon/Glenn} Just staggeringly good. Every bit as impressive as the bottle tasted in 2009. Developing nose of meat, plums, chocolate, coffee and a whole range of aging red and black berry fruits. On the palate these flavours all meld together into a seamless whole, seasoned with soft vanilla oak. You hardly notice acid or tannin in isolation, so well woven together are all the components. The palate is medium-full bodied, with terrific intensity, achieved by the totally even way in which the wine coats all the tongue. In character it’s more impressive than beguiling, but with an open, all-embracing richness that draws you in. It’s a chorus, not an aria. And the finish lingers on beautifully. I doubt there’s much more development to come, but the integrity of this seems such that it will provide wonderful drinking for another ten years. Certainly the best Bin 389 since the 1971, probably ever.
Penfolds : Rewards of Patience: A classic! This is what aussie is all about. Ethereally sweet fruits of black cherries, black and blue berries. Delicious, enticing with a tinge of eucalyptus and cigar box , all carried by a big puff of tobacco leaves. ...make it an expensive limited edition cuban cigar haven. Dry firm tannins and lengthy finish.
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Dark red but clear with a very young appearance. Lots of caramel oak, sweet jammy fruit and spice in the nose. Very nice soft fruit flavours. Sweet finish balanced by tons of tannins. Very good wine. is it improving with age or just staying the same?
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Bill's Monthly Lunch - April 2010 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – darkest wine yet. Jammy nose with tons of vanilla and sweet red and black fruits making it quite obvious where this was from. The concentration of sweet fruit is still very apparent even at 20 years of age, which no one guessed. On the palate sweet black fruits with a solid tannins and acidity. Full bodied. Who says Aussie wines can’t age? Drinking well but no rush. Very good.
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Still a youthful wine. Abundant fruit and tannin suggest 5-8 years before it reaches its peak. Long length and balance. Brick red fading on edges to browns. Excellent drinking but could well improve as it integrates further. Was shaded on the night by the 1988 Wynn's John Riddoch.
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NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 2000 (Alio's, Surrey Hills): [cork, 13.5%] According to Chris (Southcorp employee at the time) Penfolds made a staggering 125,000 cases (ie. dozens) of this wine. Has there ever a been bigger production of a wine of this quality in all history? Nominations on the back of an envelope – good luck. [OK, someone mentioned Dom Perignon...] Unbelievably intense nose. Parades the full armoury of the Penfolds style; meat, tar, quality vanillan oak, developing red fruits. The palate is intense, rich and lavish, with chalky tannins, ripe fruits, spicy oak, warm fruit-cake flavours and a dash of earthy/compost complexity (not VA, but more intriguing). A long even palate and a balanced finish - this wine has it all. It’s not a monster in size, just wonderfully intense. Lavish, but not exaggerated. An absolute triumph, and this bottle had easily another ten years of development left.
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In the galss the wine is deep red with a hint of brown on the edge. A lovely nose of fruit. The palette shows some signs of age, however still lots of ripe cherry fruit and oak on display. Good balance, with a firm dry finish. Still plenty of life in this wine.
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Penfolds 1990 – Grange and Other Icons (Peter Gago) (Landmark Hotel, London): First made in 1960, there have now been 47 vintages of Bin 389. Always a blend, the 1990 was made from 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Shiraz aged for 18 months in American oak. Cherry and wood on the nose lead into a generous, fruity palate with spice, mocha and praline characters. Bone dry and well rounded.
Tasted at the “Penfolds 1990 – Grange and Other Icons” session hosted by Peter Gago at the Decanter New World Fine Wine Encounter, Landmark Hotel, London on the 19th of May 2007.
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NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 1992 (blind) (Darling Mills, Glebe): Rather closed & concentrated. Very meaty, Penfolds-house-style barrel-berment characters plus rich stewed jam & berry fruits. Very rich & full on palate with great length. After the Bin 920 & St henri though, it feels rather brutal in the mouth. A very good wine, but still needs some time to soften out.
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4/8/2023 - fizz wrote:
Cellared since release. Level into the neck.
Cork - broke on extraction. Would have been fine with an Ah-so.
Deep garnet, with minimal bricking. Dark fruit, tobacco, leather, choc-mint. Medium weighted palate, with a mature richness. Lifted, spice note, desiccated coconut, seamless oak. Integrated tannins offer good structure in the background. This bottle was a treat.
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3/31/2022 - Marcel NZ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 1 hour prior - strong blackberry nose. Totally smooth palate with soft tannins but great length -, was falling a little a few hours later so decant and drink soon after - not dead but no need to further cellar
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1/23/2021 - drjb Likes this wine: 92 Points
This opened very well with a rich crimson red robe of colour and a nose of rich blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with touches of mint and tobacco. The palate has masses of fresh black fruits leading into a combination of fine tannins, tobacco and vanilla oak that is quite distinctively Penfolds. A very tempting and interesting glass of wine in an old fashioned South Australian style. The vigour of the fruit was quite remarkable.
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12/24/2018 - MuzzaTing Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great seal, Decanted for an hour, Massive nose of chocolate, mushroom, still a big wine but lovely structure and balance very long deep fruit, cassis, tobacco, truffle second to last bottle, perfect now but no rush to 2023
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10/8/2018 - LindsayM Likes this wine: 95 Points
Colour brick red colour , impenetrable density slight bricking on the edge , cork had minimal penetration 15/15
Nose good intensity ,unmistakably Penfold nose super complexity mushroom chocolate wild raspberry, mint coffee tobacco liquorice oaky spice coconut perfume 28/30
Palate super intense and follows on from the nose
Rich smooth chocolate liquice,dark fruits long luxurious finish , still good tannins and acidity 42/44
Overall always a treat to drink mature Penfolds wines this wine showing more Cabernet flavours than Shiraz , just goes to show what a great year 1990 was 10/11
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8/11/2018 - RC1967 Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks brick colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like mushroom, dust, espresso, medicinal, lead pencil, tobacco. It tastes like prune, dust, mushroom, espresso, lead pencil and tobacco. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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1/26/2018 - KoalaHK wrote:
At 208 Restaurant Hong Kong Australia Day Rare Wine Lunch - from a UK sourced bottle I believe which was in excellent condition. Bin 389's staying power and ability to surprise on the upside never ceases to amaze me. Especially considering that this was probably sold for less than $20 when it was released it really does show that you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy a lovely mature wine. Served with Grange 1990 and Bin 90A and gave them both a run for their money.
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1/12/2018 - amateur62 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted just some minutes before drinking, tasted blind. On the nose liquorice, black currant, leather and a bit meaty. On the palate dense and fresh, good balanced, long finish. Superb and in a very good state now but don't worry it will last for many more years.
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12/24/2017 - fizz wrote:
Level in to the neck. Cork had held a nice seal. No decant. Brown tinge to the garnet centre. Aromas of eucalyptus, leather, earth and distant black fruits. The palate is harmonious, gently wrapped in acids and fine, resolving tannins. It's in a comfortable, mature spot. Plenty of fine sediment.
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7/21/2017 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Medium light red. Very lively nose, eucalyptus, black cherry, wet earth and black currant. Delicious earthy dark fruit flavours, very balanced with out any ripeness or heat. A long dry tannic finish.
This bottle has shown a fair bit of development compared to a bottle a few years ago.
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3/24/2017 - RN wrote: 93 Points
Tried another bottle a year later. Very similar - see previous notes. There is a youthfulness to this wine that belies its age.
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7/31/2016 - RN Likes this wine: 93 Points
From my 'old cellar'. I haven't bought a Penfolds wine since the 90's but I do enjoy trying these older wines from the good even years - 90, 96, 98 and even the 94. There has great intensity and complexity. I didn't decant and it just got better with air...much better the second night. The oak importantly was nice intergrated and supported by the fruit and lovely tannins. Still a lot of life ahead.
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7/1/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Grapemates with Jon Mk.2: Licorice, oak, blackberry, tobacco and earth. Palate is quite high in acid, with good fruit lift still. Tried this 4 years ago and thought another 5 years would be good, but probably another 5 again would be no problem.
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2/24/2016 - salua wrote: 96 Points
Drank along side a 98. Both double decanted 2 hours before dinner. While the 98 was a very nice wine with great fruit and a long life ahead, the 90 killed it. Such a young vibrant wine for its age. has many many years ahead. You can comfortably leave it for another few years to try again. No hurry. A gem of a wine, despite coming from the penfold's stable...
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5/15/2015 - salua Likes this wine: 96 Points
What an impressive wine. Double decanted 2 hours before dinner and it was still opening up. Lovely bright colour, beautiful nose, soft grainy tannins. Plenty of lovely fruit on the front that mounts all the way to the lingering, long finish. This wine has years ahead of it. While I am not a current Penfolds purchaser, this wine proves that they knew how to do it for a great price.
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1/31/2015 - Wining around the world wrote: 94 Points
Still deep ruby red - remarkable colour after 25 years. Youthful nose, with blackcurrent still evident. Lively month palate, with both black and sweet red fruits, pepper and spice. Beautifully integrated acid and tannin. No obvious signs of aged characteristics. A really elegant wine. Will try the next bottle in the car in five years' time!
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10/24/2012 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
Otto - Pasta Charity Dinner: Intense nose of tobacco, blackberry, graphite and cocoa. Palate is extremely youthful still, there is plenty of dark fruit and fine but evident tannin. Another 5+ years wouldn't have done this bottle any harm.
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8/6/2012 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds Bin 389 1988-97 (Alio's, Surry Hills): [13.7%, cork] {Stephen} Developing bouquet, gorgeously ripe. Plums, chocolate, violets, meat, a touch of tar. No raisins, no prunes, no harshness. A superb palate too, most noticeable for its attention to all parts of the tongue. Medium powdery tannins frame spicy red fruits, acid is unobtrusive; it’s fine and polished on the palate; medium-bodied, with a long, lingering dry finish. Developing fruit at the perfection of ripeness really shows of the best of both grape varieties, wound together into a seamless whole. Superb, and with at least another ten years outstanding drinking ahead of it. For the $10 it cost on release, an outstanding effort.
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1/22/2012 - fizz wrote: 90 Points
Level was low neck. Cork was sealing well. Bricking red appearance showing signs of age. Aromas of aging black fruits, with chocolate and hints of coffee and tobacco. Typical stamp of Penfolds on the palate - seamless integration of vanillin oak and tannins combine in a mid-weight package that (on this bottle) was probably just beyond it's peak.
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2/7/2011 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - emergency Penfolds (Alio's, Surry Hills): [cork, 13.7%] {Gordon/Glenn} Just staggeringly good. Every bit as impressive as the bottle tasted in 2009. Developing nose of meat, plums, chocolate, coffee and a whole range of aging red and black berry fruits. On the palate these flavours all meld together into a seamless whole, seasoned with soft vanilla oak. You hardly notice acid or tannin in isolation, so well woven together are all the components. The palate is medium-full bodied, with terrific intensity, achieved by the totally even way in which the wine coats all the tongue. In character it’s more impressive than beguiling, but with an open, all-embracing richness that draws you in. It’s a chorus, not an aria. And the finish lingers on beautifully. I doubt there’s much more development to come, but the integrity of this seems such that it will provide wonderful drinking for another ten years. Certainly the best Bin 389 since the 1971, probably ever.
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5/4/2010 - Alex H wrote: 90 Points
Penfolds : Rewards of Patience: A classic! This is what aussie is all about. Ethereally sweet fruits of black cherries, black and blue berries. Delicious, enticing with a tinge of eucalyptus and cigar box , all carried by a big puff of tobacco leaves. ...make it an expensive limited edition cuban cigar haven. Dry firm tannins and lengthy finish.
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4/3/2010 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red but clear with a very young appearance. Lots of caramel oak, sweet jammy fruit and spice in the nose. Very nice soft fruit flavours. Sweet finish balanced by tons of tannins. Very good wine. is it improving with age or just staying the same?
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4/2/2010 - godx wrote: 89 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - April 2010 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – darkest wine yet. Jammy nose with tons of vanilla and sweet red and black fruits making it quite obvious where this was from. The concentration of sweet fruit is still very apparent even at 20 years of age, which no one guessed. On the palate sweet black fruits with a solid tannins and acidity. Full bodied. Who says Aussie wines can’t age? Drinking well but no rush. Very good.
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11/21/2009 - JH@B wrote: 93 Points
Still a youthful wine. Abundant fruit and tannin suggest 5-8 years before it reaches its peak. Long length and balance. Brick red fading on edges to browns. Excellent drinking but could well improve as it integrates further. Was shaded on the night by the 1988 Wynn's John Riddoch.
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6/28/2009 - Budgie wrote: 95 Points
No hurry at all. Still plenty of firm tanins and the fruit is still forceful and plentiful. Fantastic.
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5/4/2009 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 2000 (Alio's, Surrey Hills): [cork, 13.5%] According to Chris (Southcorp employee at the time) Penfolds made a staggering 125,000 cases (ie. dozens) of this wine. Has there ever a been bigger production of a wine of this quality in all history? Nominations on the back of an envelope – good luck. [OK, someone mentioned Dom Perignon...] Unbelievably intense nose. Parades the full armoury of the Penfolds style; meat, tar, quality vanillan oak, developing red fruits. The palate is intense, rich and lavish, with chalky tannins, ripe fruits, spicy oak, warm fruit-cake flavours and a dash of earthy/compost complexity (not VA, but more intriguing). A long even palate and a balanced finish - this wine has it all. It’s not a monster in size, just wonderfully intense. Lavish, but not exaggerated. An absolute triumph, and this bottle had easily another ten years of development left.
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1/26/2009 - Markito wrote: 90 Points
In the galss the wine is deep red with a hint of brown on the edge. A lovely nose of fruit. The palette shows some signs of age, however still lots of ripe cherry fruit and oak on display. Good balance, with a firm dry finish. Still plenty of life in this wine.
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5/19/2007 - jamieirving wrote: 90 Points
Penfolds 1990 – Grange and Other Icons (Peter Gago) (Landmark Hotel, London): First made in 1960, there have now been 47 vintages of Bin 389. Always a blend, the 1990 was made from 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Shiraz aged for 18 months in American oak. Cherry and wood on the nose lead into a generous, fruity palate with spice, mocha and praline characters. Bone dry and well rounded.
Tasted at the “Penfolds 1990 – Grange and Other Icons” session hosted by Peter Gago at the Decanter New World Fine Wine Encounter, Landmark Hotel, London on the 19th of May 2007.
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10/28/2006 - deanrobinson wrote: 95 Points
the quantity of fruit in this was amazing given its age. one feels this could go beyond 2025. excellent would buy again in a heart beat.
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8/7/2000 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 1992 (blind) (Darling Mills, Glebe): Rather closed & concentrated. Very meaty, Penfolds-house-style barrel-berment characters plus rich stewed jam & berry fruits. Very rich & full on palate with great length. After the Bin 920 & St henri though, it feels rather brutal in the mouth. A very good wine, but still needs some time to soften out.
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12/31/1996 - SadEdjo wrote:
dark red; bright yet restrained cherry fruit & vanilla; soft tannins and medium-long finish
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9/9/1995 - SadEdjo wrote:
full bouquet - berry; very smooth yet complex; lingering finish; doesn't get much better than this; needs decanting
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