About This Wine
Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz was first released in 1962 under the direction of legendary Chief Winemaker Max Schubert. The wine was created to showcase a single-region, cool-climate expression of South Australian Shiraz and was positioned as a stylistic counterpoint to the warm-climate, multi-regional blending approach of Penfolds Bin 28.
Since its inception, Bin 128 has sourced fruit exclusively from Coonawarra. The region's renowned terra rossa soils, consisting of red clay over limestone, contribute to the wine's distinctive mineral, ferrous and structural character. This long-standing regional focus has made Bin 128 one of Penfolds' most consistent terroir-driven wines.
A significant milestone in the wine's development occurred with the 1980 vintage, when Penfolds transitioned Bin 128 from maturation in American oak hogsheads to French oak. The change was intended to better complement the cool-climate fruit profile, highlighting pepper, spice and floral characteristics while allowing greater regional definition to emerge.
The 1981 vintage was produced during this important transitional period and represents one of the earliest Bin 128 releases matured under the French oak regime. The vintage therefore occupies a notable position in the evolution of the wine's style.
During the mid-1980s, Penfolds further refined vineyard management practices to encourage greater fruit ripeness. This gradually shifted Bin 128 from a historically leaner and more austere expression toward a style with increased fruit weight and structural depth, while retaining its regional identity.
Most bottles of the 1981 Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz are now considered past their optimum drinking window, making surviving examples primarily of historical and collector interest.
Specifications
- Vintage: 1981
- Grape Variety: Shiraz
- Maturation: Oaked
- Oak Type: French
- Winemaker: Peter Gago
- Ownership: Treasury Wine Estates
- Closure: Cork or screwcap
