Penfolds Cabernet-Shiraz South Australia Bin 389 2024
- Score
- 95
- Price
- $80
- Cases Imported
- 4,778
Bin 389 was introduced by legendary Penfolds winemaker Max Schubert in 1960, and has since become celebrated in Australia and beyond. Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago is enthusiastic about this blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Shiraz, describing the Cabernet Sauvignon as having a texture and transparency not typically found in Shiraz. “The Shiraz fills in the spaces without overpowering the Cabernet,” he says. Often dubbed “Baby Grange,” this multiregional wine, made with grapes from Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Padthaway, earned the nickname because the components are aged in the same American oak hogshead barrels that held previous vintages of the flagship Grange. Yet Bin 389, also capable of aging, costs one-tenth the price.
Tasting Note
This impressive red features notes of bittersweet chocolate, salted plum paste, black currant tea and blackberry preserves that come across as confident, firm and generous, backed by dense but fine-grained tannins. Shows accents of toasted cumin and dried sage, plus spice and tobacco details, all on a smooth frame. There’s a sense of restraint that bodes well for cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Drink now through 2041. 4,778 cases imported.—MaryAnn Worobiec
- Region:
- South Australia, Australia
- Issue Date:
- Dec. 31, 2026
