Winemaker Notes
Purple core with a red rim. The bouquet unfolds with an array of decadent aromatics, reminiscent of a French pâtisserie. A blend of baking spices emerges first, with cinnamon sugar, sweet custard, and the warmth of Chelsea tea cakes. Next, a berry pudding note emerges, with a compote of red and black fruits. Skillet-roasted meat and herb-infused pan scrapings are present. An indulgent sweet note of blueberry pie rounds out a complex, inviting aroma profile that is unmistakably Penfolds. Blue fruits instantly emerge, specifically elderberries, blueberries, and bilberries. Poached plums merge with the exotic spiciness of cassia bark, imparting rich flavours. A hint of meat adds depth and character to the profile. The mouthfeel is sculpted by chocolate powder tannins, which are luxurious and precise, lending a structure that is both assertive and velvety. Also present is the umami complexity of tomato consommé, enriched with piquant olive tapenade. The palate is further textured by a ferrous minerality.
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
Deep crimson with a strong aromatic profile of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry studded with mixed spice, blackforest cake, roasting meats, panforte, dark chocolate and earth. Plenty of depth and latent fruit power with this release; perhaps a little more power than last year's model, with fine, strong tannins supporting the fruit beautifully. A strong release for the Bin 28 Shiraz.
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Wine Spectator
Offers an exuberant mix of fresh huckleberry, boysenberry and blackberry syrup, plus framboise. Accents of toasted green tea, milk chocolate and rose petal emerge, along with clove, apricot and cardamom, all on a juicy, approachable frame, with dense tannins that never get in the way of the concentrated flavors. Drink now through 2038.
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James Suckling
This is an Australian classic that has been made every year since 1959. Aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate, crushed blueberries and dried herbs. The palate is full-bodied with firmly framed tannins, bright acidity and a savory and dark-fruited finish. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 season in South Australia was wetter than either vintage either side of it, and the wines, if farmed well (yields managed, disease managed, ripeness achieved), have captured the detail and levity that these conditions can be responsible for. On balance, I've liked the 2023 Barossa/McLaren Vale reds that I have tasted so far. I've liked them more than those of the 2017 vintage, which experienced similar conditions. Here, the 2023 Bin 28 is rich and savory, the oak—wholly American oak, 15% new—sits atop the fruit on the front palate, but the fruit emerges and plumes through the middle palate and finish. A lighter release of this wine, it is still structured but not weighty.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
South Australia is the historic heart of Australian wine, a great wine capital of the world, and home to some of the most famous regions. It produces more than 80% of Australia’s premium wine from some of the oldest vines in the world. There is an abundance of varieties and wide spectrum of styles to explore. From the rogue to refined, discover Australian wines that are far from ordinary.