South Africa Cabernet Sauvignon

Penfolds

Max's South Australia Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Blend of Shiraz (64%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (36%). Dark ruby color with purple highlights and a fine garnet rim. Aromas of ripe dark fruit, milk chocolate, mint and a bit of alcohol heat. Flavors of black cherry, currant and raspberry fruit, smoked/cured meat, cola, black pepper and baking spices. Medium-plus finish, slightly chewy tannins and noticeable oak. Creamy texture and quite bold. Thinking that laying this one down for a few years helped it mellow a bit. Solid quality for the price. — 12 days ago

Tom, Paul and 4 others liked this

Penfolds

Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2023

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!
— 4 months ago

Freddy, ESF and 4 others liked this

Penfolds

Grange Hermitage Bin 95 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 1990

Another bottle off my bucket list.
First time tasting a Grange so nothing to compare it to, no idea how it compares to another vintage but it was definitely unique. I can’t think of anything I could compare it to. I didn’t want to lose the flavors by having food with it, just enjoyed through out the day and seeing how it developed. My rating might be high since I’m a rookie Granger. Latest review from Decanter

99
Decanter
Review Date: 02/2025
Read All Reviews
Mint, cream and distant woodsmoke on a cold day combine on this supremely fragrant, intense and pure nose. Ripe, dark fruit has flushed completely with that cool sense of mint and the creaminess of American oak, just as the tannins have fused completely, presenting a serene, elegant flow that creates a gorgeous aromatic unity. This comes with magnetic, gravitational pull that draws you in; close your eyes and you are in Australia. A wine of immense finesse and elegance, of immense youthfulness and expression at 35 years of age. Wow! (AK)

@Bob McDonald @Somm David T @Ron R
— 5 months ago

Somm, Daniel and 21 others liked this
Pooneet K

Pooneet K

*sorry phone added a random comment. Very much yes.
Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

@Tegan Marriott I froze a smidge and sent it out in dry ice. It’s on the way.
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Sweet deal!! 😄 That is a very honest business K&L and their refunding policies. Considering going through them when buying online

Kanonkop Estate

Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Classic well structured Cab Sauvignon at 7 years entering the twilight zone- clean and expressive flavours of cedar tobacco and pencil shavings and earthy traits . This seems to be developing better than 2018 which I must try again for comparison. — 2 months ago

Andrew, Tom and 1 other liked this

Yalumba

The Signature Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2006

Lots of mint on the nose (69% Cabernet Sauvignon; 31% Shiraz) together with blackberry. On the palate plenty of drive and power in this Cabernet Shiraz blend - layers of fruit, oak and spice. Rich and full bodied - the perfect accompaniment for a vintage Porterhouse steak - Waygu marbelling. Oak has integrated since the tasting 5 years ago. A pity that it takes 20 years for Yalumba’s Signature red to reach its peak but probably true. Interestingly the wine is matured for 22 months in American, French and Hungarian barrels coopered at Yalumba. This was the last bottle from a dozen originally purchased. — 4 months ago

Scott@Mister, Somm and 24 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

An excellent & historical visit.
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Somm David T I’m sure the Hill-Smiths would have been excellent hosts.

Yalumba

The Cigar Menzies Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Not overly complex but nonetheless delightful. Sweet Coonawarra dusty tannin! — 2 months ago

Boekenhoutskloof

The Chocolate Block Cinsault Blend 2023

Light fruity aroma, dark red, medium body, dry and succulent, dark fruit flavor, paired nicely with venison. — 3 months ago

Meerlust

Rubicon Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2017

Vintage 2017 | magnum | well developed rounded Cabernet Sauvignon — 5 months ago

Tom, Bob and 8 others liked this