Bob McDonald

9.4

Dense Ruby from an excellent ripe vintage. Blackberry, black currant and cassis - a classic South Australian Cabernet in all senses, complete with some herbal notes. It’s nothing like its big brother Bin 707 which is bigger and more full bodied even though the 407 has a drinking window through to 2045 according to the Rewards of Patience. The fruit for the 407 is multi regional from all major vineyard districts in South Australia. It is not often you open a 16 year old wine and say you’ve opened it too early but this could be the case here. — 7 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Ruby red color with red fruit aromas and spicy floral notes, aged for 10 months in 40% new French oak. On the palate flavors of cherry, raspberry and strawberry with tea and earthy tones. Fine smooth tannins, well balanced with acidity, nice mouthfeel, long finish ending with earthy toasty oak character. Very fresh will continue to age! Nice! Pair with with a grilled chop! — 3 months ago

David Hale Smith

9.9

Lucky to sit with a friend who bright two bottles of this beauty to share at Bordeaux Fest Near perfection from a magnificent special bottle. The year the wall came down with label art that looks to the future. Believe the hype. — 4 months 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!
— 5 months ago

Darren Howden

9.1

Nice wine and very good for the price — 9 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Blend of 69% Shiraz, 16% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from McLaren Vale, deep Ruby color with aromas of berry fruits and sweet spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of vanilla, spice, licorice and tobacco. Fine tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit, sweet spice and earthy notes. — 9 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

First, if you haven’t had this producers wines at 15-20 years of age, you’re missing some spectacular juice. I bought this at auction for $38-$40 a bottle and because I was unaware of its storage, I was prepared to short decant it. Well…until I pulled the cork, smelled it and saw the color. This nearly 20 year old bottling is still big but with nice integration & evolution. I would say it has another 5-8 years of good life in it.

The palate fruit is ruby, ripe and lush; blackberries, boysenberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum. Mid berry cola, dark chocolate to pudding, mocha powder, wet clay, light, black pepper, Asian spice, dry-ish tobacco, black licorice, some dry herbs-sage dominate, limestone, dry top soil, dry brush, used leather, sandlewood, fresh to slightly withering, dark, purple, red florals set/framed in violets and lavender. The acidity is near perfect. The well balanced, structured, knitted finish is excellent and lingers minutes. Steal for the price. Another excellent gourmet burger wine. Beef Patties from El Salchichero. — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Presented to me, double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours, a slightly hazy garnet color with a near opaque core and significant rim variation; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of mostly dried and desiccated fruit: dried brambles, dried cherry fruit leather, coffee, dried flowers, licorice, and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Initial conclusions: this could be a GSM blend, a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend or is Zinfandel from France or the United States. For me, there aren’t any signs of pyrazines so I like this as a GSM blend with a good amount of Syrah. Due to the color, rim, variation, and sediment I believe this has 25 to 30 years of age. Final conclusion, this is Chateauneuf-du-Pape from 2001. Whoa! I haven’t had one of these in a long, long time. OG Kalimna Bin 28! This was showing really well. Drink now but still has life left. — 20 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

vintage 2022 | Sultry and inky — a month ago

Ross Bathgate

9.2

2012 Jimmy Watson winner. No Bin 1 or Thompson family made in 20111 due to wet year so all the best fruit in this wine, drinking very nicely but noticeably greenish and lighter due to poor year. — 3 months ago

Diane Heyboer

8.9

Had the 2022 in February of 2026. Blackberry and dark cherry with a barrel forward character on the nose. Not super tannic- berry/cherry throughout. Short finish with hints of tannin on the end. — 5 months ago

with Matthew, Ethan and 2 others

Jan de Weerd

9.8

The times I helt a bottle like this in my hands, I can probably count on only one hand. Even for Delectable this is a rare occasion because it didn’t know how to correctly recognize it. When a wine connects like this, lifts you off the ground and takes you to a beautiful place, you know it is good. Intense, but perfectly balanced, so many instruments playing that still echo for minutes in a lingering finish. 26 years old yet so vibrant and wild with dark punchy fruits encapsulated by aged mahogany wood that released different flavors every time I took a sip… yeah… life is good. Offered by a friend who loves wine and even more loves to share! — 7 months ago

with Skip and Tammy

Neil Valenzuela

9.3

Incredible wine! Deep purple color- almost inky. Aroma of blackberries, cassis, vanilla and violets. Black fruit on the palate, plum, baking spices with a lovely finish.

🏅96 Points - Wine Spectator
🏅95 Points - Wine Advocate — 9 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

A Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend of all 5 Bordeaux varieties, aged for 10 months in 25% new French oak, deep Ruby with aromas of dark berry fruits, oak and cigar box spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry, cherry and currants with cacao and herb spice. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, oak, spice and earthy mineral character. Nice! — 2 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Cena lider mty @ gand cru — 9 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and dried, mixed fruits: brambles, plum, blueberry, purple flowers, leather, earth and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and rich. Alcohol is medium+. Pretty tasty stuff.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Merlot (or blend thereof), Cabernet Franc (or blend), Cabernet Sauvignon (or blend), Shiraz (or blend) Tempranillo or Syrah from the United States, France, Australia or Spain. The fruit is the star here so I’m taking this to the “new world”. Plus, there is a generosity and elevated alcohol that gives me Aussie vibes (though I find the wine balanced). I also think this has 15-20 years of age. Final conclusion: this is a Shiraz blend from Australia, Barossa, 2005. Daaaaaang. Andrew Will! I don’t hate my call but I should have probably done better with this one since I’m very familiar with these wines. Still much to learn. Drink now through 2037. — a month ago

Diane Heyboer

8.9

Had the 2021 in February of 2026. Lots of blueberry and vanilla with some spice with this one. Enjoyed this one more with food rather than sipping alone. — 5 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Sourced from several regions, pale lemon color with aromas of stone and tropical fruits, spice, floral and citrus notes. On the palate flavors of apple, peach & apricot with notes of honeysuckle and citrus zest wrapped in savory toasty biscuit notes. Smooth long finish, well balanced, nice acidity, ending with fruit, yeasty and mineral character. Nice! — 6 months ago

Paul St Clair

9.0

Powerfull well rounded blueberry and black currants. Soft tannins carrying pepper leather and tobacco. Well balanced with acidity that rounds out the red fruit flavors the wine is abundant with. — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.4

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim. Not showing much age.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, spices, licorice, cedar, earth, chocolates, vanilla, rhubarb and black pepper.

Medium plus in body and soft, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, cherries, toast, cedar, light vanilla, mediterranean spices, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia. Rich and elegant. Fruit forward and complex. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Spicy and entertaining.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 60 minutes of airtime.

Robert Parker 91 points. Wine Spectator 91 points.

This 23 year old is drinking beautifully now and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

I've had a few vintages of this wine and it is very consistent.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food like lamb dishes.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in all new American oak barrels for 14 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$225. — 9 months ago