Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2023
South Australia 🇦🇺

Overview
A more tightly wound and concentrated expression of Bin 389, showcasing the same Cabernet-Shiraz framework (Cabernet for backbone, Shiraz for richness) but delivered with greater tension, density, and youthful drive. This vintage leans more serious and structured than 2022, highlighting the fascinating impact vintage conditions have on balance, ripeness, and extraction in agricultural wines.

Aromas & Flavors
Intense blackcurrant, crushed blackberry, dark cherry, and graphite dominate the aromatics, layered with fresh cedar, cocoa nib, and subtle minty spice. The palate is compact and powerful, showing darker fruit concentration, savory spice, and tightly coiled oak structure that promises excellent evolution with time.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and more compact than the 2022. Tannins are firmer and more youthful, giving a punchier, more linear profile. The wine feels energetic and focused, with impressive density and length, clearly built for further integration.

Food Pairings
Char-grilled steak or venison. Slow-braised beef cheeks. Pepper-crusted lamb. Smoked meats and firm aged cheeses.

Verdict
A bolder, more muscular Bin 389 that trades immediate plushness for intensity and aging potential. A striking reminder of how vintage variation shapes personality, same blueprint, very different expression.

Did You Know?
Penfolds sources fruit for Bin 389 from multiple South Australian regions, blending different terroirs and climates to build complexity, consistency, and layered structure across vintages.

🍷 Personal Pick
If you enjoy tracking wine evolution, this is a fantastic candidate for short-to-mid-term cellaring, revisit in a few years to watch the structure melt into harmony. Also check my previous 2022 review!
— 5 months ago

Christopher Taylor

9.6

Virtasant/Antica Terra wine blending — 5 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

The good whites of Burgundy, aka crack cocaine, are what they are because of great blending - in this case, Pierre Benoist of DRC.

This is special not just for the florals, the woods, the citrus, the spice, but for these things together.

Lemon chamomile and a cedar lined drawer. Vibrant and young with a sturdy back and all the confidence in the world. — 5 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Not your typical Rioja. 100% Graciano, a varietal that is normally used as a blending grape. Zesty and tight, but in a good way. (Well structured). Cherry, plum and red flowers on the nose. Same fruits on the pallet with a pleasant toasted oaky finish. Deep red color. Well crafted and interesting. Going to continue to look for this single varietal. — 6 years ago

Cindy Cammack

9.3

Enjoyed this with brats and peppers. Held up well. Surprisingly soft when drunk on its own. Fascinated by the blending. I will look for these in the future! — 7 years ago

JJ Lumia

9.2

Let me be clear. I feel very strongly about several things in life. Such as The Godfather is the greatest movie ever made. The designated hitter should be outlawed. And Cabernet franc is a blending grape. This is making me rethink my position. Medium- bodied, silky smooth, lots of olive and funk with cigar box and iron on the finish. Im not a convert yet. Yet. A WS Top 100. — 8 years ago

William Douglas

9.6

2014 vintage. 3 hour decant.
3/6.5/9.5 = 19 out of 100 say 96.
High quality Barossa Shiraz with an awesome bouquet apparent as soon as it’s released from the bottle (though I always think blending Viognier is cheating in that regard). Still a strong tannin/acid structure so still not at its peak - say 5 years more at least. High alcohol content but integrated perfectly - didn’t even notice. Really pleasant long linger. Standish is an artist so you must collect and try. My next move is to try back to back with a Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 2 — 2 years ago

Kyra Williams

9.6

Dry. Yummy. Basic bubbles. Enjoyed with Amy and Casey. — 5 years ago

Madeline Shaw

9.2

With Casey at Peacock — 5 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

8.9

Tasted at the producer, this is a primeur / pleasure to drink young vintage. 100% Cabernet-Franc. Light purple color, clear and limpid. Raspberry and herbaceous nose. Supple mouth blending raspberry, notes of cedar, cypress.
Slightly acidity, but the typical Touraine mineral structure, reminiscent of slate, pencil lead, or charcoal, bringing a refreshing salivating tension. On salads, aperitif-dinners, cold meats, cheese pastas, it's easy to drink, and pleasant.

Goûté chez le producteur, c’est une cuvée primeur/plaisir à boire jeune. 100% Cabernet-Franc. Robe pourpre légère, claire et limpide. Nez framboise et herbacé. Bouche souple mêlant, framboise, notes de cèdres, cyprès.
Acidité peu marquée mais la trame minérales typique de la Touraine, évoquant l’ardoise, la mine de crayon, ou le charbon, apportant une tension salivante rafraîchissante. Sur des salades, apéro-dînatoire, charcuterie, pastas fromage, c’est facile à boire, et plaisant. — 6 years ago

Brianne Mooney

9.5

Meg and Casey at vinegar hill house — 6 years ago

with Meg

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Opened 375ml bottle. Made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca by blending wines that are matured for a minimum of 10 years. Nice topaz color with gentle sweet aromas of spice and almonds. On the palate dried red fruit flavors, well balanced with lively acidity, very fresh taste. Lingering finish ending with pleasant oak and honey tones. One of the best 10 year Tawny's I have tasted. The 375ml was a perfect size. — 8 years ago

Ken Venezio

9.2

This is a big fruity Cab. Nice soft tannins through some Merlot blending but still has plenty of candied cherries, raspberry and chocolate all the end through its long finish. — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Blend of 45% Cab Sauv, 45% Monastrell & 10% Syrah, a blend from vines averaging 50 years old, aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels separately before blending. Deep Ruby with aromas of red/black fruit and spicy notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and black currants, espresso and smoky oak notes. Firm ripe tannins, medium finish ending with fruit, oak and earthy spice. Good value! — 3 years ago

Byron C Mayes

8.9

Clear dark ruby. Inviting nose of black cherry and cranberry. Medium full palate echoes the nose adding red apple peel and on the finish, a hint of vanilla and a touch of balsam. Medium tannins that assert on the finish as well. Mouthwatering medium plus acidity wraps it all up. A classic Willamette PN blending New World fruit with Old World style and structure. A universal red that’s ready for nearly any cuisine. Drink now through 2028 with some minor development. — 4 years ago

Julia Indik

9.3

Dark and inky strands blending chocolate, coffee, fig, blackberries, and cedar. Dry tannins in a long finish. 77% cabernet franc, 17% merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon — 5 years ago

with Robert

Friday Hill

10

Got a bunch of awesome rappers and kids in to wine.

Blending grape.

Almost like a baby light and chilled port.

$23 — 6 years ago

Clive McNish

9.1

Second time I’ve had Cantemerle, this time the 2004. I think this was a great choice and I found this one a bit more refined and mature than the 05 which is probably a few years from fully settling down. This one has plenty of cassis, vanilla and wood on the nose. The palate is smooth with a medium finish that is very nicely balanced. I would describe this as a masculine wine, with leather, tobacco and ash blending with the fruit, it is not floral or overly delicate. Probably approaching it’s peak but visually no real significant signs of ageing. Worth a try if you have the chance. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.4

Global Champagne Day 2018...Why not?

@Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew I'm not going to sabre this one, maybe another time. Nice post/feature today.

Seemed excessively frizzante when we opened the bottle, more mellow after an hour, quite nice. Lightly brioche, the Chardonnay is more prominent tonight. Light caramel on under-ripe peach, delish. At hour two, lightly saline, red fruit arrives, the terroir is making an appearance. — 8 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.7

It’s usually a good sign when the winemaker can articulate what the wine is about like this: “Ceras is Botanica’s counterpoint. Its color is more purple than red. It is more about minerals and herbs than fruit and flowers. It is a focused and elegant distillation of rock rather than an opulent cascade of fruit. It is an expression of the geology that lays beneath our land, the tart blue fruits of the coast range and the tender herbs that one finds amongst the trees and mushrooms of the Northwest forest.”

Her 2013 Ceras is yet another example of Maggie Harrison’s sorcery over the vines at Antica Terra. The focus and intensity of flavor is off the charts, yet it maintains an almost ethereal weightlessness, only emphasizing the layer of silk that separates you from the wine. The pungent rock is so on point and distinctive it instantly reminded me of the scent of lichen growing on rocks, which I experienced in Colorado when I was 7 or 8 years old. This sets the stage for the level of complexity exhibited. The fruit has both an extraordinarily high level of purity and yet the woven tapestry of herbs and spices and even fruit blending are impossible not to notice. The key being that nothing is forced.

The nuance of complexity only being noticed when desired is nearly an impossible feat. I can’t help but recall James Conaway quoting Andy Beckstoffer in his recently released book: Napa at Last Light: America’s Eden in an Age of Calamity. “If a wine was a model with a chipped tooth, you’d have to give her something to compensate with. If she needs better shoulders, better breasts, give her some. But her real charm is in how she carries the defect.”

After reading his book, I can tell you I’m definitely not certain whether you can accept his quotes verbatim. One thing is certain, though, Maggie Harrison’s Antica Terra wines carry the defect like no other. — 8 years ago