Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2005 Monday, Mar 3 2008
Tasting Notes and Australia and Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale and Padthaway and Variety and Red and cabernet et al
Unfortunately I missed the tasting of the new Pennies wines at Dan Murphys last Saturday, so instead I nipped in on Sunday morning to buy a taster. Oh, and though the picture shows a wine under screwcap I purchased one under cork. A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Shiraz from the McLaren Vale, Padthaway and Barossa Valley regions. Matured for 13 months in 26% new American oak hogsheads, with the balance in older American oak.
Lots of stuff happening on the nose: some dusty cedar, star anise, black plums, spice, vanilla pod, a bit of tobacco and a bit of menthol. The palate showed lots of black and red fruits, almost varnishy, with blueberries, plums, black olives and a rich somewhat fruit cakey character. This said, it was more savoury and nutty than sweet, and it had a lovely depth of fruit without appearing extracted and overly tannic; in fact it drank very well over 6 or 7 hours. There was a touch of acid poking out on the finish, but this seemed to diminish with time. A lovely wine; drink or cellar, whatever you want.
Rated : 94 Points
Tasted : Mar08
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $40
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2008 - 2015+
Source : Dan Murphys
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44 Responses to “Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2005”
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I tried this at an in-store tasting at Dan’s and wasn’t impressed. Clearly, the wine (and the other reds) weren’t well presented. Given your enthusiasm, I may have to buy a bottle and give it a few hours decant. Stylistically, I prefer the overtly charming 90s-style 389, e.g., the ‘96, which is just starting to drink a treat. I’m also a tad confused by the oak treatment of the last two 389 vintages - too much generic “cedariness” (excuse that non-word!) for mine.
What did you think of the others? I thought the Bin 28 a bit thin and flat, while the 407 was varietally correct and pleasant off the bat, but not that interesting for the price. Again, the tasting was a bit rushed, and the bottles were newly opened, so my judgement probably isn’t all that well informed. I didn’t get a chance to try the 128.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:52 pm
> What did you think of the others?
I haven’t tried the others yet. Bought the 28, 128 and 138…. hopefully will post impressions later this week.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Looking forward to this myself. I have only heard very positive reports on 05 389. I might have the drinking window starting at 2015 mind you..based on 1996 and 1998 not really being ready (for my tastes) but not having tasted the wine this sounds pretty approachable.
Why did you buy the cork? Were you feeling lucky that day?
GW
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I haven’t tried any of the Bin range for this vintage, but wasn’t over impressed at the Grange/Bin release tasting at the wine soc last year. The 389 was good, as was the McGill and 707, but some of the other bins (128, 28, 138 and the RWT) were a bit too much in the penfolds house style for me
I’m open to give them a go, and the wine soc (not my best pal at the moment) are doing a 6 pack, including the 389) for a decent sum
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Yes, you are right Gary, the ‘96 is JUST starting to come into its own, and the ‘98 is still some way off as of early last year. Given that you’ve heard good things about this wine, it looks like I will have to have another go at the ‘05.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Rawshack, I used to buy BECAUSE of the Penfolds house style, now they’ve changed the style (especially with Bin 389), I’m now a bit more hesistant. The only Penfolds red of the sub-$100 range that has really impressed of late was the ‘02 St. Henri.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
MichaelC said :
Well, I’m flying a bit blind here due to my limited knowledge of all things Penfolds. Apart from prev vintages of 138 which I loved, the only other experience I have is the tasting last year, and I felt that most in the range were a little overpriced. Still, early days and it’ll be once more into the breach with a couple of these, esp the 389 which I suppose is the ‘affordable’ aussie icon
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:51 pm
No matter, my point was that the “old school” nature of Penfolds, derided by many, is now getting diluted a little. And this is only my opinion remember! I guess the vanilla-tinged hedonistic Penfolds beasties of around 10 years ago seem to be a thing of the past, except with St. Henri, which was always meant to be a more ‘elegant’ wine. There is still a place for generous (though not jammy), fluffy tannined Aussie reds with a smack of vanilla on the nose.
Anyway, I guess the only thing to do is try a couple of older wines if you can. The trouble is finding ones in good condition, and at a reasonable price. E.g., try a ‘98 Bin 28 compared to a ‘04 or ‘05 or, best of all, a ‘96 Bin 389 compared to the wine in question.
In any case, it’s all rather subjective. I agree that the range is overpriced, but only really in comparison to other quality Australian wines.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I am interested in taking a quick survey:
Though they are still incredibly popular and important Australian wines, there is a school of sentiment that says the Penfolds Bin range no longer offers the same style or value that it used to.
If you are someone who has traditionally purchased Penfolds Bin range but now no longer do, what are you buying instead? What are the wines offering better value for your dollar?
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Jules said :
A good question, but I could really only answer on the 138 - when I was in the UK this represented an affordable, approachable alternative to Southern Rhone blends. When I tried the last vintage (the 05?) I found it somewhat annodyne, and didn’t represnt the value that I once associated with it.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Jules, perhaps you need to re-define the question. Do you mean single-bottle purchases or purchases for the cellar?
As for Bin wines (i.e. sub $50 - I presume we’re excluding 707) for cellar purchases, I find myself buying, in their stead, reasonably priced Northern Rhone wines such as Crozes-Hermitage, St. Joseph and Cornas (from $35-$70). Why? I like their rusticity and food-friendliness, and I like their lower ABV. I’m also tending to put away some good Cru Bourgeois in recent months, for similar reasns to the above.
This might seem a bit of an anti-climax, but I ditched the 407 last year (2004) - a pretty reasonable wine - for Wynn’s Black Label (2005) - outstanding Cabernet at under $25 or whatever (I think I paid about $21 or 22).
I’ll still buy a single bottle of the Bin range to try, it’s just that I find that I don’t now tend to stash too many away. For Penfolds, St. Henri usually gets the $$$$.
I think you’ll find that most of those who are tired of the Bin wines are ‘trading up’. When you are in your early 20s, you tend to think of Penfolds as being special, but with time and experience, you find that there’s a much wider world out there. Yet we still think of the Bin releases as an event - I think we build ourselves up for disappointment, even if we concede that the wines are okay.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I also prefer the labels of the 90s wines - but that’s just being silly!!
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
MichaelC said :
Either.
MichaelC said :
Not necessarily. I think there are people trading away from this wine as well, either up or down.
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Okay, I don’t normally buy 707 in any case. I’ve some ’99s that are developing quite nicely (like St. Henri and Magill, the ’99s are faster developers), but I bought them because of a too-good-too resist price last year. I guess at that price range I normally buy (if talking reds) classified growth Bordeaux and higher-end Rhone wines. I think a good Bin 707 represents reasonable value. The ‘04 was supposedly very good, but I didn’t buy any I must admit. I went John Riddoch instead for the cellar from that vintage. Why? I heard glowing reviews (Gary included) and went out and bought some. It sounded too good to waste a bottle on a tasting!!
In any case Jules, a wine slut can’t be too faithful to one brand or type of wine. Promiscuity comes at a high price. Money I would have once spent on Penfolds Bin X or Y now goes to Champagne or Grand Cru Alsace Riesling. I only cellar what I REALLY like, and make sure I buy plenty.
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Jules, instead of Bin 407 I am also going with the Wynns Black Label. Better value for money and generally released a tad earlier. Both ‘04 and ‘05 are outstanding. If these wines were the same price I would get both in equal quantities.
March 3rd, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I tried the 28,138,407,389 - as if you needed to know, the 407 & 389 were the best; but my overall impression was that they are all extremely tight and need lots of time to open up… I agree with previous comments that the style has changed and you need to try before you buy… I bought some 389 but only time will tell… at Dan Murphy and VC, the sales pitch was the “very small” allocation they have due to the drought… I wonder if the draught had anything to do with the difference in style(s)…
March 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Anyone tried the 2002 389 recently? Any thoughts on letting it lie or drinking up?
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:14 pm
I used to buy Bin 28 and Bin 389 most years, but from 99 onwards I bought very few, mostly the occasional 389 to see how they develop. (I used to buy 707 when it was under $40 too). I think the 2005 Bin 389 is the best of the line since the 98 and I’ve bought a 6-pack, I won’t be buying the Bin 28 or any of the others.
There are numerous wines that fit the hole left by not buying Penfolds Bin reds for the last 8-9 years, many of them emerging makers in Barossa and McLarenVale, with a smattering of Italian and Spanish imports.
If Aus producers bump up prices too much this year because they think the glut has ended they could see more people finding imports an increasingly attractive option instead, or lose their market share to other local producers who manage to constrain their price increases to “reasonable” levels.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Hi GW
TN is spot on and confirms that the 2004 is not left for dead by this 2005 release.
I found both 128+28 not up to the usual standards.The 138 was better all around.
Bt the way-there are about 200 better wines at the same level out there as the 407….
Cheers
Michael
Michael
March 4th, 2008 at 7:04 am
It is Lincoln’s note.
GW
March 4th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Who’s Lincoln?
I thought this was Walshy’s Winorama.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Dan Murphy at Hornsby (thanks James) put on both the 128 and 389 from 2002, so we could compare them with the latest 2005 releases. Personally I prefered the 2005, but the 2002’s had only just been opened and maybe they needed some time to breath.
March 4th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Jules
The range of wines generally was much, much narrower 15 years ago so Penfolds only became a regular buy because of limited choice.
One thing to remember - new world pinot was a non-event and Burgundy was for the select few when Penfolds was in its heyday and a “must-buy”. So that would certainly be one style that has more than filled my Penfolds hole
March 4th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Sorry, Lincoln
March 4th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
the Penfolds were also launched in NZ on March 1. The best price I have been quoted on the 389 is $NZ29.99 for a half case. I think I’ll add to the cellar.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Selling in NZ supermarkets for NZD $20 (28,128,138), $25 (407) and $32 (389). Seems to be discounted by about $10 per bottle Is it worth putting a few away at these prices?
March 4th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Well worth it at that price, and FWIW even at $40AUD I think it is a good addition to the cellar. I think its the best for nearly a decade.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
> Sorry, Lincoln
No problems… GW does do about half the reviews so it is understandable
March 5th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I’ll definitely add a bottle or two to the cellar. One question comes up though, at $40 what other cab/shiraz blends would you be looking at?
March 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
That’s a good question indeed. This old Aussie blend, even if invented in Bordeaux a couple of hundred years ago(!), is a bit of a dying breed in the ‘premium’ park, though there’re plenty of sub-$20 bottles going around. Henschke Keyneton Estate Euphonium 2004 wasn’t too bad really - lots of violets, spice and mint on the nose, but it’s got a dash of Merlot so may not count. I’d also be glad to hear Lincoln/Gary’s opinions.
March 5th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I’ll open one now (124 case make) and report back..
GW
March 6th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Rockford Road and Spur
Diesen Shiraz Cabernet
Glaetzer Annaparinga (whatever) on special
None of these are like 389 but they are from Barossa
There is a lovely Ulis Ulithorne (why are wine names so difficult these days) floating about but not sure if it is release yet. But is a little more as is the Majella Mallea.
At a cheaper price don’t forget the lovely Bernoota of course
March 6th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Tried all the Bin range at Vintage Cellars (on the day of my flight to KL!)
My impressions: the 2006 Bin 138 is probably the most marked improvement compared to previous vintages, and though under appreciated I think those few who sneak away a 6 pack or a dozen now will be very happy as they rip into it in the coming years. The 02 and 04 were good but this wine is a tier above IMHO
The 28, 128 and 407 are nothing special. Similar moulds of pennies house style and add a couple to your cellar if that’s what youre after.
The 389 was freshly opened when I tasted it so big raw tannin was flying across the palate and very distracting, hence making it difficult for me to make a proper assessment. The fruit is there to back it up though - I won’t comment further on this (it is probably very good after a decent decant) but the 06 Glaetzer Anaperenna
March 10th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Hi Lincoln and Gary,
if you have the option to buy the 389 at the same price for 2004 and 2005, which one would you buy? (i.e. which one is a better vintage for Bin 389?)
Cheers,
ts
March 11th, 2008 at 8:22 am
I’ve not tried it yet but I would unhesitatingly buy the 2005 because it’s available under screwcap.
GW
March 11th, 2008 at 8:57 am
I would have the 2005 slightly ahead of the 2004, but fwiw I have purchased a six pack of both vintages.
March 11th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Thanks both.
I will get a few of 2005 tomorrow.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Today I purchased 24 bottles of the 2005 389. The plan is to cellar it until my 3yo son (born in 2005) turns 25. According to the tasting notes from Penfolds, the 2005 389 is meant to be at peak drinking during 2010-2030.
Does anyone have any further thoughts on cellaring potential for this wine? Experience from previous similar 389 vintages perhaps?
For the record, I still think the ‘96 389 is the best 389’s from the 90’s to date (in my opinion).
March 12th, 2008 at 7:35 am
If you have a screwcap on your side. I’d say it will be fine. Cork probably..but the usual lottery. Expecially with Penfold’s corks…..
GW
March 12th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Smooove, I agree, the ‘96 is way above any 389 I’ve tried. I am lucky to still have 8 left! The last I had was late last year and it still had ages to go. The ‘98 is still very much wound up.
Gary, Penfolds corks are diabolical to extricate (especially ‘96 389!!), but I’ve never had a corked one, or even oxidized one. I did have a ‘99 Yattarna that had turned to salad dressing though …
March 12th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I’ve had plenty corked and oxidised. Sometimes even both
GW
March 12th, 2008 at 10:01 am
I’m very sorry to hear that Gary. So many good bottles lost … (or hopefully they were ’92s or ’97s).
I’ve been fearful on many occasions. Happy times fetching bits of cork out of an icecream bucket when I couldn’t find a sieve for a 389 cork that had decided to evolve into sawdust …
Maybe a case of provenance? Or maybe I’ve just been bloody lucky (the ‘99 Yattarna was a bottleshop to glass job rather than something from the cellar, but it was replaced by a rather good one if memory serves).
March 18th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I stopped putting Penfolds wines away in my cellar after the 1998 vintage. I find that the wines of late are not being held back as long as they usd to so are little disjointed when first available. On the whole though fruit density is decreasing and as a consequence palate weight. I am a firm believer in the fact that cork affects wine (and not just negatively). The move to screwcap these wines will mean that they will cellar and develop in a different way and not necessarily for the better. Although I have not tried the 05’s yet when I do I will try to get them in cork and screwcap to do a back to back blind tasting.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Steven,
the old debate Cork vs. Screwcap, you are right in saying that they will develope [not necessarily for the better] but one thing is certain, they will develop in their own terms and NOT affected by cork taint. I personally believe that they develop more ‘gracefully’ in screwcap but the jury is still out!