PENFOLDS BIN 389 CABERNET SHIRAZ 2006

 - South Australia

 - $42-$70

 - Screwcap

 - 14.5%alc

I previously reviewed the 2006 Bin 389 on the 27th of February, 2009, awarding it 92 points. Although pleasantly balanced and rustic, it seemed fairly closed and in dire need of more time. So, with 6 months having passed, I feel now is a good time to give the 2006 'Baby Grange' another look. 

Somewhat closed in its youth, this Bin 389 opens slowly to a rustic, savoury fragrance, with redcurrant, dark plum, clove and cinnamon aromas influenced by a fresh leafy/menthol-like aspect and dark chocolate/cedar oak. Despite being a fraction thin throughout the mid-palate, it reveals an excellent marriage of dark fruit and savoury, meaty flavours, as seasoned cedar oak characters accentuate the wine with a firm cut of positively sandy tannins into a long and dry finish, punctuated by lingering nuances of ripe fruit and herb. Typical of the label, structure is excellent.

ü Quite refined and elegant now, the 2006 Bin 389 requires a few more years yet to unfold and reveal its best. It does look a little better than it did 6 months ago, with a touch more interest to both its aroma and flavour profiles. Drink 2016-2026.

93 points

www.penfolds.com.au