Penfolds Bin 389 2020

Penfolds Bin 389 2020

Bin 389 was often referred to as ‘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, this was the wine that helped forge Penfolds reputation with red wine drinkers by combining the structure of cabernet sauvignon with the richness of shiraz. Exemplifying the judicious balance of fruit and oak, Bin 389 highlights the generous mid-palate Penfolds in known for.

Grapes sourced from Padthaway, McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. 51% cabernet sauvignon, 49% shiraz. 12 months in American oak, 33% new.
Such a solid, svelte release, as seamless and accessible as I’ve seen a new-release Bin 389 though with the tannin and overall stuffing to go long term. There’s as much plum as blackcurrant here, as much finesse as grunt, though perhaps its most distinguishing trait is the exceptional length though the finish. The palate is plush, the finish is drenched in both flavour and tannin, and yet everything here feels meticulous. Drink 2025 - 2038+
96 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front (July 2022)

51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Shiraz. A wine that’s apparently ‘very strictly allocated, as Bin 150 is. We can’t keep up with demand’, according to Gago. Fruit from McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway. 12 months in American oak hogsheads (33% new). TA 6.5 g/l, pH 3.61.
Intense, ‘purple fruit’ nose. Sweet start, very winning, more flattering than some of the earlier-poured wines in this tasting. But all this fruit is cocooned inside a firm structure. Drink 2025 – 2045.
17.5 / 20 Points
JancisRobinson.com (June 2022)