Ranked #2 of 31 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz from Barossa Valley
94/100
4.5 Stars
Huon Hooke
Deep red colour with purple and black tinges. The bouquet is rich and ripe, with no specific variety dominating, the full-bodied black fruit flavours and dense texture, lovely smooth tannins, it's a classic 389 and shows no lesser-year traits. Remarkable wine. Full-bodied, dense and rich. Excellent.
Tasted: 19/02/2014
Drink: 2015 to 2035
90 Points Robert Parker
A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz, the very deep purple-black colored 2011 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz is a little youthfully mute, showing cassis and black cherries on the nose alongside hints of pencil shavings, licorice, chocolate, pepper and meat. More cedar flavor shows up in the firm and structured, medium-bodied palate marked by a high level of grainy tannins, a lively acid backbone and a long finish. It needs time in bottle. 5,130 9L case imported to the US. Drink 2015 to 2025+.
Source: Robert Parker (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. February, 2014
96 Points James Halliday
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. Drink to 2035.
-. July, 2021
94 Points Tyson Stelzer
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. Price rise from $75 to $80 this year. Available 6 March 2014. Drink 2021 - 2031.
Source: Tyson Stelzer.