Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz Year of the Dragon 2021 (1500ml) is a powerful, full-bodied blend with 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Shiraz. Known as the ‘Baby Grange,’ it offers intense dark berry fruits, exotic spices, and a rich oak influence from 12 months in American oak. With firm tannins and vibrant freshness, this wine promises excellent aging potential from 2025 to 2055.

Decanter | D 95
Published: Jun 27, 2023
Drink: 2025-2055

Baby Grange gets its moniker as components of the blend are matured in the same barrels as the previous vintage of Grange. But with Cabernet Sauvignon the main player (53% in this vintage), it is more a Baby 707, especially as it always benefits from wine originally destined for that cuvée as well as Grange. A beauty of a beast, whose imposing tannin structure and abundantly ripe fruit need time. Powerful, inky blue and black berry fruits dominate the nose and palate, alongside bergamot freshness, earthy tapenade, exotic spices, iron filings and lots of black pepper. Coconut richness from 12 months in US oak hogsheads (37% new) and fine cocoa powder tannins add grip and linger long.
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.50%
Body: Full
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon 47% Shiraz

Jamessuckling.com | JS 94
Published: Jul 23, 2023

The 'mini Grange', as it is known. Robust, with a core of molten raspberry, blueberry, tea leaf and anise, juxtaposed against something that feels cooler and fresher and compelling enough to reach for the next glass. Very Australian of feel. I have had old vintages of this, some very old. They are inevitably a rewarding experience. The generous oak framework, apposite in lieu of this latent wine's immense potential. Drinkable now, but best from 2027.

The Wine Advocate | RP 93+
Published: Jul 20, 2023
Drink: 2023-2063

The 2021 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz is creamy and densely packed with flavor (packed!), and the American oak is a core part of the wine, both aromatically and in the mouth. The fruit is from McLaren, Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Wrattonbully and Padthaway and comprises 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Shiraz. The cooler season has imbued the wine with a freshness and levity, which, if you asked me prior to tasting, I would have said it was impossible to imbue levity in the Bin 389! But there you have it. Epic intensity, present oak. Give it time. I have tasted 30-year-old Bin 389s in the past that have still been alive and fresh. So, the cellar is the place for this vintage. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 17.5
Published: Oct 03, 2024
Drink: 2028-2042

A carnival of ripe fruit! This baby seems to want to escape from the bottle and escape from the glass way before it should! Scarlet and purple, raspberries and rhubarb, blackberry candy. Almost rudely, frankly, defiantly candied and sweet in all its rude, frank defiant youth. Like a shiny colour plate in a book. It's only at the end, when the portcullis of tannins comes down, that you are reminded how very young it is. Still, it's tempting to abet its bid for premature escape.

Penfolds.com

Bin 389 was often referred to as ‘Baby Grange’, in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. First made in 1960 by the legendary Max Schubert, this was the wine that helped forge Penfolds reputation with red wine drinkers by combining the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of Shiraz. Exemplifying the judicious balance of fruit and oak, Bin 389 highlights the generous mid-palate Penfolds is known for.

Colour: Glossy, dark red/purple

Nose: An "old school" Penfolds nose; a classic and comforting homage to our storied past. It opens with the rich, deep tones of mahogany and the refined scent of a cigar box. Sweet oak spices are neatly interlaced with a dusty character. This foundation is lifted by summer berries, offering a balance between richness and vitality. Baking spice is present alongside tart red currant and cranberry, while the aroma of fresh pastries rounds out the note.

Palate: The palate is immediately enveloped by cocoa powder-like tannins — smooth yet profound in their impact. The wine boasts volumes of Cabernet character, showcasing cool fruits that are well lifted and vibrant. A barrel ferment nuance adds depth without overshadowing the fruit's purity. Sourdough notes bring a rustic edge which complement the lush profiles of plum fruits, blackberry, mulberry, wild cherries and more distinctly tart morello cherries.