Penfolds

Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2011

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  Vintage 2011
  96 points www.winecompanion.com.au

A 51/49% blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz from McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley; it spent 12 months in 30% new and 70% in one-year-old American hogsheads. When all is done, I can't imagine a better SA red wine from this vintage. It ripples with cassis, mocha, dark chocolate and hints of tar and black olive; its texture and structure are exceptional, reflecting Penfolds' unrivalled experience in tannin management.

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  Vintage 2011
  94 points www.tysonstelzer.com

A lesser Bin 389, though testimony to the power of blending to rescue a difficult season, with almost the entire production of what would have been Bin 707 in the blend. This is a Bin 389 of structure, elegance and vibrancy more than flesh. The bouquet leads out closed, slowly opening into subtle, tangy red berry, red cherry, curry powder and pepper notes. The palate is taut, savoury, astringent and edgy, reminiscent of dried herbs, pepper, exotic spice, red cherries and tangy redcurrants of impressive line, integrity and persistence. It promises to be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage, with a firm and finely structured tannin profile and elevated acidity making for a grippy and structured finish. A blend of 51% cabernet sauvignon and 49% shiraz from McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley, matured for 12 months in 30% new and 70% one-year-old American oak.