Paul J

9.4

This was great! Well balanced and perfect depth. Silky texture. — 6 days ago

Matthew Robinson

9.1

Like biting into a crispy, juicy apple - damn — 3 days ago

Manj Gunawardane

9.0

Lime lead and zest, lightly floral, major minerality and citrus, balanced sweetness, med depth. Giving off a little kerosene. Quite pleasant. — a month ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Oldest in the Penfolds portfolio, Wine includes fruit from Barossa, McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Clare and Wrattonbully vineyards, aged 12 months in American oak, 7% new. Deep Ruby color with aromas of dark berry fruits and sweet spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry, plum and cherry with cacao, espresso and vanilla oak. Vivid acidity, ripe fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit and spice, very nice! Good value with aging potential. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

I have dreamed of the 1981 Grange for many, many years. Why? Well, it’s quite simple: I’m an ‘81 baby and that year doesn’t have the strongest reputation for producing great wines. Spain and Italy faired better and of course, there were always exceptions. However, most have long been drank or forgotten as it was a tough year in many of the classic wine growing regions. All of that being said, Australia didn’t suffer the same conditions and Penfold’s managed to make a very good expression of Grange in 1981…if only one could find it and then of course, afford it. But, sometimes you just have to put it out into the universe and she answers. Tonight, a dear brother in wine who also happens to share 1981 as a birth year, provided this bottle from his cellar to share. And while my 45th remains a couple months off, we were celebrating life and friendship tonight!

Opened prior to dinner and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1981 pours a deep purple color moving towards a garnet rim and a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and desiccated tart black, red and blue fruits and rotundone: blackberries, raspberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, black olive, cocoa, coffee, eucalyptus, leather, toasted coconut, earth and baking spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is looooong. What a stellar showing and this bottle certainly lived up to hype. Drink now through 2041+. — 24 days ago

Roger Ray

9.1

"A traditional Australian blend combining the expressiveness of Shiraz with the defined structure of Cabernet Sauvignon. This full-bodied wine shows ripe dark fruit aromas, voluminous richness and plentiful tannins. " — 3 months ago

James Forsyth

9.3

A surprising wine. Really gorgeous focused and nuanced. — 15 days ago

Martijn

9.3

Would love to taste this in 2036…. — a month ago

Dan McNeillie

9.1

$42 very good. — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2023
South Australia 🇦🇺

Overview
A more tightly wound and concentrated expression of Bin 389, showcasing the same Cabernet-Shiraz framework (Cabernet for backbone, Shiraz for richness) but delivered with greater tension, density, and youthful drive. This vintage leans more serious and structured than 2022, highlighting the fascinating impact vintage conditions have on balance, ripeness, and extraction in agricultural wines.

Aromas & Flavors
Intense blackcurrant, crushed blackberry, dark cherry, and graphite dominate the aromatics, layered with fresh cedar, cocoa nib, and subtle minty spice. The palate is compact and powerful, showing darker fruit concentration, savory spice, and tightly coiled oak structure that promises excellent evolution with time.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and more compact than the 2022. Tannins are firmer and more youthful, giving a punchier, more linear profile. The wine feels energetic and focused, with impressive density and length, clearly built for further integration.

Food Pairings
Char-grilled steak or venison. Slow-braised beef cheeks. Pepper-crusted lamb. Smoked meats and firm aged cheeses.

Verdict
A bolder, more muscular Bin 389 that trades immediate plushness for intensity and aging potential. A striking reminder of how vintage variation shapes personality, same blueprint, very different expression.

Did You Know?
Penfolds sources fruit for Bin 389 from multiple South Australian regions, blending different terroirs and climates to build complexity, consistency, and layered structure across vintages.

🍷 Personal Pick
If you enjoy tracking wine evolution, this is a fantastic candidate for short-to-mid-term cellaring, revisit in a few years to watch the structure melt into harmony. Also check my previous 2022 review!
— 3 months ago