1996 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 750ml

Scuffed Capsule

🏅 Accolades & Reviews

97 Points – Jeremy Oliver (Tasted Jan 2003)
“A silky, fine and elegant wine richly endowed with dark fruits and framed by firm, fine-grained tannins. Savoury, tightly focused and supremely balanced.”
Drinking Window: 2026–2036

96 Points – The Wine Front
“Deep, expressive and balanced, showing impressive fruit power and length. A benchmark Bin 389 with vibrant fruit and savoury complexity.”

95 Points – Bob Campbell (Tasted Feb 2012)
“Classic South Australian blend with superb depth and structure, seamlessly integrated oak and tannins. Still youthful, with years ahead.”

16/20 – Jancis Robinson (Tasted Oct 2024)
Drinking Window: 2004–2036

🍷 Producer Notes

Penfolds Rewards of Patience, Sixth Edition (2008)

Colour: Deep red.
Nose: Fresh, expressive wine with all the hallmarks of a “Baby Grange”; lovely inky blackberry, meaty, cedar and graphite aromas.
Palate: Dense, rich, generous, sweet-fruit flavours with underlying malt oak and slinky, chocolaty tannins. A great vintage showing incredible fruit power and energy.
— Penfolds Winemaking Team

About the Wine

Bin 389 is a traditional Australian blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, crafted from multiple South Australian regions.
Known as the “Baby Grange”, it embodies Penfolds’ hallmark balance of ripe fruit, oak integration, and ageing potential.
The 1996 vintage ranks among the finest ever produced, praised for its depth, concentration, and classic structure.

Vintage Conditions

Following the dry 1995 season, well-timed winter rains replenished South Australian soils.
A cool spring and warm finish produced fruit of excellent intensity and balance, ideal for long-term cellaring.

Specifications

Region: South Australia

Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz

Maturation: 14 months in American oak (25% new)

Alcohol: 14.0%

Acidity: 6.6 g/L

pH: 3.55

Closure: Cork

Food Match: Beef, venison