Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
Full-bodied dry red wine. This is a classic Australian 'Cabernet-Shiraz' blend, often referred to as 'Baby Grange' because it is matured in the same barrels used for the previous vintage of Penfolds Grange. · Penfolds. Founded in 1844, Penfolds is one of Australia's most legendary producers, currently owned by Treasury Wine Estates. It is a 'high-tier' luxury producer famous for creating the 'Grange'—Australia's most prestigious wine. Peter Gago is the current Chief Winemaker, maintaining a style defined by multi-regional blending and American oak maturation.
Vintage: Vintage variable; generally high quality. Penfolds Bin 389 is known for consistency across vintages due to the multi-regional blending philosophy. Recent top years like 2018 and 2021 are considered exceptional with ideal ripening conditions, while cooler years provide more elegance and higher acidity.
Type
Full-bodied dry red wine. This is a classic Australian 'Cabernet-Shiraz' blend, often referred to as 'Baby Grange' because it is matured in the same barrels used for the previous vintage of Penfolds Grange.
Producer
Penfolds. Founded in 1844, Penfolds is one of Australia's most legendary producers, currently owned by Treasury Wine Estates. It is a 'high-tier' luxury producer famous for creating the 'Grange'—Australia's most prestigious wine. Peter Gago is the current Chief Winemaker, maintaining a style defined by multi-regional blending and American oak maturation.
Country
Australia. A leader in 'New World' winemaking, Australia is known for technical innovation and bold, fruit-forward styles. It uses the Geographical Indication (GI) system and is significant for popularizing technical precision and screwcap closures, while maintaining some of the world's oldest ungrafted vines.
Vintage
Vintage variable; generally high quality. Penfolds Bin 389 is known for consistency across vintages due to the multi-regional blending philosophy. Recent top years like 2018 and 2021 are considered exceptional with ideal ripening conditions, while cooler years provide more elegance and higher acidity.
Region & Appellation
South Australia (Multi-regional). Typically includes fruit sourced from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Wrattonbully, and Coonawarra. It is classified as an 'Ultra-Premium' wine under the Australian wine hierarchy, though not confined to a single sub-AVA, it represents the best of the state's terroir.
Grape Varieties
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (typically 51-54%) and Shiraz (typically 46-49%). Cabernet provides the structural backbone, tannins, and dark fruit, while Shiraz adds mid-palate richness, plushness, and sweet spice.
Color & Appearance
Deep, opaque crimson with a dark purple core. High intensity and clarity. In the glass, it shows slow, thick legs indicating high extract and alcohol concentration. With age, the rim transitions from vibrant purple to deep garnet.
Aroma Profile
Intense and complex. Primary: Blackcurrant, mulberry, and plum. Secondary: Vanilla, coconut, and char from American oak. Tertiary: Graphite, leather, licorice, and savory 'soy' or balsamic notes that develop with bottle age.
Tasting Notes
A powerful, multi-layered palate with a firm structural core. It opens with an impact of dark berries and espresso, moving into a dense mid-palate of chocolate and spice. The finish is remarkably long, driven by fine-grained tannins and a balanced acidity that cleanses the palate.
Flavor Profile
Layers of blackberry, crème de cassis, roasted coffee beans, and savory herbs (dried oregano or bay leaf). The oak provides a sweet spice cake and dill-like character typical of American barrels, evolving into earthy truffle notes with time.
Body & Texture
Full-bodied with a dense, muscular texture. It possesses a high level of dry extract, giving it a mouth-coating, velvety viscosity that remains structured rather than flabby.
Acidity & Tannins
The acidity is medium-plus and bright, providing tension against the rich fruit. Tannins are high but extremely well-integrated—firm and 'architectural' from the Cabernet, ripened to a polished, silky finish from the Shiraz.
Sweetness Level
Bone dry. Despite its perception of sweetness from ripe fruit and aromatic oak (glycerol sweetness), the residual sugar is minimal (usually <1.0 g/L).
Alcohol Content
Usually ranges between 14.5% and 15.0% ABV. The alcohol is well-knit into the wine's massive fruit structure, providing warmth without a 'hot' or burning sensation.
Aging & Oak
Matured for approximately 12 months in 100% American oak hogsheads (typically 30-40% new, with the remainder being 1-yr or 2-yr old barrels previously used for Penfolds Grange). This distinguishes its creamy, coconut, and vanilla profile.
Food Pairings
Rich proteins like grilled wagyu ribeye, slow-roasted lamb shank with rosemary, or venison with a berry reduction. It also pairs excellently with aged hard cheeses like Comté or sharp Cheddar.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at 16-18°C (60-64°F) in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass. Decanting for at least 60-90 minutes is highly recommended for younger vintages to allow the oak and tannins to integrate.
Price Range
$75 - $100 USD (Retail). It represents a 'Luxury' value proposition, offering a high-scoring profile comparable to wines twice its price, especially given its proven track record for cellaring.
Quality Assessment
94-96 points consistently. It is a 'Super-Premium' icon wine. It is widely considered the most reliable and collected red wine in the Penfolds 'Bin' series, frequently outperforming more expensive counterparts.
Production Methods
Hand-picked and machine-harvested fruit is fermented in stainless steel headed-down fermenters. After fermentation, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrel. The final blend is meticulously balanced by the winemaking team to maintain the 'house style'.
Terroir
The wine reflects a 'South Australian' terroir of varied soils including terra rossa over limestone in Coonawarra (finesse) and heavy clay/loam in the Barossa (power). This macro-blend mitigates vintage variation and creates a consistent, powerful profile.
History & Heritage
First produced in 1960 by Max Schubert, the legendary creator of Grange. It earned the name 'Bin 389' based on its original storage location in the Magill Estate cellars. It is arguably the wine that popularized the Cabernet-Shiraz blend globally.
Interesting Facts
It is often nicknamed 'The Poor Man's Grange' because it is aged in the same barrels that Grange lived in just the year before. It is also one of the most traded wines on the secondary auction market in Australia.
Cellaring Potential
Exceptional. While approachable after 5 years, it hits its peak maturity between 15 and 25 years. Top vintages can easily last 30+ years if stored in cool, dark, and humid conditions.
Similar Wines
Penfolds Bin 407 (Pure Cabernet), Wolf Blass Black Label, Henschke Keyneton Euphonium, or high-end Napa Valley Cabernet blends which share a similar power and oak influence.