Penfolds Bin 389 - Vintage 2000
Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz
The Penfolds Bin 389 is one of the most collectable and frequently seen bottles at Australian wine auctions. It is commonly referred to as the ‘baby grange’, this is partly due to the fact the wine is matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. Penfolds Grange being the most famous wine in Australia and has over the years garnered recognition worldwide and is widely considered to be Australia’s ‘first growth’. Anyway, back to Bin 389. A blend of shiraz and cabernet, the proportions of which vary each year. The cabernet brings the structure and aging potential, the shiraz brings the richness and vivid fruit.
The shiraz/cabernet blend is also called the ‘Great Australian Red’ as it is a blend that originated in Australia in the 1800s and a blend not commonly seen in the rest of the world. (exceptions being Provence in France and occasionally in earlier Bordeaux blends). In the 1950s it was championed by Max Schubert (The creator of Grange), who refined and popularised the blend, giving it power, structure and finesse.
Today’s wine is the 2000 vintage of the Bin 389. The wine has a deep plum colour in the glass. The bouquet is full of fruit, tobacco and oak. The wine is full bodied on the palate with rich flavours of cherries, chocolate and aniseed. The 20 years of age have softened the robust tannins leading to a long and elegant finish. The wine has excellent balance and subtle use of oak, a premium wine to be savoured and enjoyed with friends.
Older vintages of this wine are particularly difficult to find. Currently in the UK at least, there is only one wine merchant offering this vintage for sale (Seckford wines - £75 per bottle). In the UK and definitely in Australia the best place to find well aged versions of this wine is at auction. This wine is also one of my favourites to buy on release and cellar for a few years. It has excellent aging potential and every vintage I have ever tasted never seems to disappoint. Depending on your budget for wines, possibly not an everyday wine! However, certainly worth the investment for a special occasion. Highly recommended!
Score: 94
Price:
- UK: £ 75 (Seckford Wines) - Vintage 2000
- UK: £ 65 (Amazon) - Current vintage
- UK £ 58 (Waitrose) - Current vintage
Wine specification:
- Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz
- Region: South Australia
- Vintage 2000
- Ageing: 14 months in new (22%) and 1 and 2-year-old American Oak
- Alcohol: 13.5 %
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