2016 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz

Certainly not a definitive example Bin 389 of yore – this 2016 vintage release retains style yet pushes Cabernet/Shiraz blend boundaries … ever so deftly!

Coincidentally or otherwise, a Japanese 'demeanour' unfolded during preview tastings – many Japanese-linked descriptors availed, some used, others not.

Quercus alba – are you sure?! …Savoury, sandalwood nuances noted. No doubt, however, about this wine's captivating sheen/poise.

Peter Gago, Penfolds chief winemaker

91/100

The 2016 Cabernet/Shiraz Bin 389 is a blend of 51% Cabernet and 49% Shiraz, the least amount of Cabernet you'll ever see in this bottling. It's dark and stolid, with notes of cassis and blackberry along with touches of vanilla and cedar.

Full-bodied and dense, it's firmly in the Penfolds style and the style of this particular bottling, which always ages well, even if it's not the flashiest or most flamboyant offering from Penfolds.

At more than 14,000 cases for the United States, it should be relatively easy to find.

Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, www.robertparker.com

95/100

Jeremy Oliver, www.jeremyoliver.com