Bin 389 is known as ‘poor man’s Grange’ (‘baby Grange’ in the U.S.) because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous year’s Grange. Created along with the other Penfolds ‘Bin’ wines (28, 128 and 707) out of Max Schubert’s experimentation during the 1950s and 1960s, Bin 389 (first vintage 1960) is the wine that built Penfolds’ solid reputation with the average wine drinker. The Bin 389 style combines the elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of Shiraz and demonstrates a typical Penfolds balance between fruit and oak in a richlyflavoured wine with medium to long-term cellaring potential. Maintenance of the style is paramount, and the proportions of the two varieties can vary widely.

John Duval

Nose Dark liqueur chocolate and berried notes with blackcurrant aromas coming through as the wine sits in the glass. Alluring smoky barrel ferment characters lifting above dark, ripe plum, stewed rhubarb and berried fruits.