Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2009

The wine announces itself with charry, gravelly barrel derived characters then earth, leather and lifted dark, wild berry fruit. You get some five spice, herbal notes and game in there too. A big shopping list of stuff in the bouquet. In the mouth, choc-mint freshness at first, then an impressive build of ultra-polished, shiny texture that is lusciously fruited and concentrated and formidable. The wine does lift with mixed peel freshness of acidity but is deeply serious, lashed together with fine, yet steely tannins and flashes of fancy oak. You can't help but see All-Australian Team superiority here, everything trimmed and buffed in this impressive and sizeable frame. Not necessarily on my drinking radar, but wow, you can stand back and admire. Or dive in. Exceptional, modern 389. Mike Bennie, The Wine Front