Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz 2018
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Parker
Robert -
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Wilfred -
Enthusiast
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Winemaker Notes
A bright, crimson red color. The nose is lifted, fragrant, and immediately Penfolds. Aficionados may quickly identify and proclaim 389. Aromas like that of layers of custard and port-wine dark jelly with flaked coconut and juniper/cassis. Or old-fashioned hummingbird cake, with coconut flakes and nutty flavors. Familial youthful Bin 389 oak – subtle matchstick and a hint of vanilla powder. As they say – what is there not to like?! The palate is a balance of the sweet (Cabernet) and the savory (Shiraz). The wine possesses what has now often been referred to as a black forest cake 2018 vintage flavor profile. Darker fruits – closer to that of a black cherry liqueur than a crème de cassis component of Kir. Oak and tannins absorbed. Both are certainly present, yet not at all demanding their own space on this Bin 389 stage. Substantial and intense.
Blend: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Shiraz
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon and 43% shiraz, this has a very impressively complete feel, a hallmark of the 2018 vintage wines, and there’s a myriad of characters with cabernet’s cedary and gently herbal notes sitting atop a core of rich red-plum and dark-berry shiraz fruit aromas. So integrated. The palate has a very silky texture, so plush and polished with a wealth of rich and intense dark-plum, dark-berry and blackcurrant flavors. The oak is completely soaked with ripe, fresh fruit. This is a great Bin 389. Drink over the next two decades.
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Decanter
Confident Cabernet (57%) leads this high-spirited, swirling dance, as a breezy wisp of blue and black berries waft over the earthy bulk of sturdy Shiraz. It’s a clever trick for such bright fruit to be contained by tannins in an interlocked embrace, without smothering the obvious exuberance of this marriage. Supple and nimble, it keeps shifting and changing in the glass. A truly beautiful blend.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Hints of toasted coconut accent big cassis aromas on the nose of the 2018 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, which is a 57-43 blend this vintage. Full-bodied, with cherry flesh complementing the sterner cassis and tobacco notes, it's supple enough to be approachable now, yet with the concentration and requisite dusty tannins on the long finish to support more than a decade of aging
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Penfolds Bin 389 has been one of the world's top examples of the Cabernet-Shiraz blends. The 2018 vintage continues this wine's success story. TASTING NOTES: This wine deftly combines red and black fruit aromas and flavors with notes of minerality and savory spices. Enjoy it with a well-seasoned, slow-cooked beef stew. (Tasted: August 29, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
In typical Penfolds style, this Cab, Shiraz blend is a rich, polished wine lacquered in high-end oak. Lurking beneath the barrel-driven furniture polish, mocha and spice notes is a plush layer of berry fruit and a minty, herbal nuance. The alcohol shows some warmth on the gauzy palate while woody tannins cinch the fruit. A wine for chewing rather than sipping, this will requite a mega amount of protein and several years in cellar. Drink 2023–2035.
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Penfolds has been producing remarkable wines since 1844 and indisputably led the development of Australian fine wine in the modern era. The introduction of Penfolds Grange in 1951 forever changed the landscape of Australian fine wine. Since then a series of stand-out wines both white and red have been released under the Penfolds masthead.
Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker and only the 4th custodian of Grange, relishes the opportunity to bring Penfolds to the world stage and is an enthusiastic ambassador and natural educator. Penfolds came to the attention of the US market when 1990 Grange was Wine Spectator’s ‘Wine of the Year’. Since then, Penfolds Grange has become one of the most collectable wines of the world and was honored to grace the front cover, once again, of Wine Spectator, with declarations of Grange as Australia’s Icon.
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Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
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