Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2018

Very deep, dark red colour with a good tint of purple. The bouquet is sweetly super-ripe with loads of blackberry jam and fruit sweetness, the palate likewise sumptuously deep in fruit with oak keeping very much in the background. The flavour fills the mouth superbly and continues long into the aftertaste, harmonised by lashings of soft, ripe tannins. There are definite notes of cassis and herb from the cabernet component and the oak contributes a subtle trace of charred timber that complements the fruit. Sumptuous fruit sweetness. A ripping wine that seems to be less oak-marked than this wine traditionally is. (HH) (7/2020)

This '20 release marks the 60th anniversary of Bin 389. It is a 57/43% blend from McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway, Coonawarra, Robe and Wrattonbully, matured in American hogsheads (38% new). A perennial favorite of mine, though the price does cause me to blink. It has great color, and a supple mouthfeel that invests the wine with a hint of elegance, underlined by the fluid, flawless balance, the length a given. (JH) (8/2020)

Deep violet color. Cherry-cola, cassis, pipe tobacco, coconut and cured tobacco on the highly perfumed, smoke- and spice-accented nose. Sappy and impressively concentrated, offering an array of red and dark fruit preserve and spice flavors and hints of licorice, mocha and candied flowers. Closes very long and gently chewy, with resonating spiciness and slowly building tannins that add subtle grip. (JR) (12/2021)

Hints of toasted coconut accent big cassis aromas on the nose of the 2018 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, which is a 57-43 blend this vintage. Full-bodied, with cherry flesh complementing the sterner cassis and tobacco notes, it's supple enough to be approachable now, yet with the concentration and requisite dusty tannins on the long finish to support more than a decade of aging. (JC) (7/2020)

So luxurious! Exquisite black cherry and chocolate on the palate, stylish vanilla oak and buttery tannins. Finishes with the sweetest dryness possible, if that isn't too (oxy)moronic a thing to say. 17.5/20 points (RH) (3/2021)