Legendary 389 Offer
Three. Eight. Nine. Ask anyone with even a passing interest in wine and chances are they are going to know exactly what you are talking about as, let's face it, Penfolds Bin 389 along with possibly Wynns Black Label would be the most recognisable wine labels in Australia - indeed Penfolds, one of the biggest in the world. Often referred as 'Baby Grange' or 'Poor Man's Grange', the Bin 389 is a legend in its own right having been made since 1960 and this week we have a wonderful opportunity with not just one, but three outstanding vintages of 389 including one that is almost 20 years old!
We open up with the
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2014 and in all instances, a lack of space prevents us from including even a snippet from all of the glowing endorsements these wines have received. The 2014 has 96/100 Halliday, 96/100 Stelzer, 96/100 Mattinson, 96/100 Caillard MW. As Halliday would say, 'poor man's Grange', is a strange name for a $90 wine but either way you cut it, $79.99 for a great vintage of an undisputed legendary wine is good buying.
We also have the
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2012 which has to its name 99/100 Love, 97/100 Halliday, 96/100 Stelzer, 96/100 Caillard MW and the gratuitous "you can buy 10 of these for the price of one Grange" from Tony Love.
Then we dig deep, very deep into our cellar with some finely stored
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 1998. That is not 2008 but the almost 20 year old 1998. Remember that 20 years ago 95 and 96 Point scores were virtually unheard of. The 1998 has 96/100 Oliver, 95/100 Mattinson and 94/100 Halliday and one of the great Australian wines. Based on current retail, our offer price represents an investment of less than $3 per year! Please note all three wines are now extremely limited with new vintage releases from Pennies due soon!
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2014 - $959.88 per dozen or $79.99 per bottle
In a word: yes. It's a complete wine. It's drenched in fruit and groans with tannin. It lays dark-but-powdery chocolate notes over blackcurrant, soy, mint and plum. There's a leafiness, almost a spiciness, but it's gentle, it's seamless. It's powerful but neat; it's silk wrapped around an anvil. No fuss. No hesitation. This release sees Penfolds Bin 389 in top form. Rating:96 Points; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front
First made in '60, and for long called 'poor man's Grange', a strange name fora $90 wine. It's always been a varietal and regional blend, once matured inhand-me-down Grange barrels, but no longer. There is much conjecture about the amount of Dom Perignon made each year, and the same is true of this wine. A bottle number could cause embarrassment. It's seriously good, its palate of black fruits, licorice, oak and earth held tight by tannins as only Penfolds can make. Rating: 96 Points; James Halliday
If I could choose just one bottle that for decades has defined what makes Australian wine uniquely special, this would be it. A tightly coiled and brilliantly focused Bin 389 of impressive black fruit depth, yet in an engagingly understated and reticent way in its youth. It lacks nothing in colour, structure, potential and sheer, jubilant persistence, carrying very long and true, backed at every moment by classy dark chocolate American oak.Another standout 389 of grand potential. This is wine in the Penfolds line that justifies its price rise this year. Rating: 96 Points; Tyson Stelzer
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2012 - $959.88 per dozen or $79.99 per bottle
You can buy 10 of these for the price of one Grange.Revered as the “baby Grange” and for many a more accessible luxury red, this will totally blow you away right now as a ravishing Australian-style blend with glorious dark fruits and immaculate oak dressing all around and through it.Deep, dark, brooding and poised with all manner of dark exotic spices, once you delve further into its full-bodied richness you'll find a wonderful mix of dark, spicy fruit, dark chocolate and licorice bullets, even mid-grained tannins and a lively, energetic finish. A stunning beauty. One of my wines of the year so far. Rating: 99 Points; Tony Love, Taste
Deep, dense crimson-purple; the profound bouquet offers every kind of black fruits imaginable, large and small, yet somehow leaves a space and air in the mix for more complex secondary characters to emerge given time - lots of it.The palate takes all this, and adds to it with barrel ferment characters introducing licorice and touches of wild herb. This wine fully lives up to the great expectations held of it (and the vintage). Arguably the bargain of the release. To: 2040; Rating: 97 Points; James Halliday
Deep crimson. Intense inky blackcurrant, praline, mocha, aromas with espresso,herb notes. Generous dark berry, dark chocolate flavours, fine dense chalky/aldente textures, lovely mid-palate richness and underlying roasted walnut,mocha notes. Finishes chocolatey with a long graphite tannin plume. This is a substantial wine with beautiful expressive fruit, underlying oak complexity,superb richness, density and energy. A very strong and versatile Bin 389 vintage with wonderful aging potential. 20 years+. Drink, keep and bequeath some! Rating: 96 Points; Andrew Caillard, MW
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 1998 - $1799.88 per dozen or $149.99 per bottle
An excellent 389 with length, concentration and polish, especially with respect to the almost sour-edged blueberry notes of its spicy plum/cassis fruit, its integration of smoky, chocolatey American oak and fine, but drying astringency. It borders on the minty and touches on varnishy but presents a complete package for drinking now or extended cellaring. Year to Drink: 2010-2018+; Rating: 96 Points; Jeremy Oliver; OnWine
This review is from a vertical tasting of Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz for the Penfolds Rewards of Patience. It's an independent review. Beautiful filigreed tannin. Lots of plummy, minty, curranty flavour. Oak has sunk right down into the wine. Outstanding quality here. Gentle wafts of leather, even game, but in the nicest possible way. Posted on 14 May 2009; Closure : Cork;Drink : 2012 - 2025; Rated : 95 Points; Campbell Mattinson
Full red-purple; dense, dark berry, dark chocolate, and savoury/spicy aromas are a backdrop for a palate full of cassis, blackberry and chocolate supported by a great depth of ripe tannins. Needs a decade to really start strutting its stuff, but will undoubtedly do so. Drink By: 2020; Rating: 94 Points; JamesHalliday; Wine Companion
