The NEW Baby Grange.
Profound Penfolds Greatest Buy Ever.
Our Wine Spectator Top 10 Prediction:
Bin 28 at the Lowest Price USA.
94 points from Wine Spectator, 95 from James Halliday, and Decanter’s star buy of this year’s Penfolds collection. Penfolds’ US retail price is $40.
• Only 60 Bottles Arriving Friday, September 18th
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A Personal Note
Dear Artisans,
Wine Spectator names its Top 100 Wines of the Year every November. We are making our call early: the 2023 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz finishes in the Top 10.
It is also our greatest buy of the year. Wine Spectator gave it 94 points, James Halliday 95, and Decanter named it the star buy of this year’s Penfolds collection. Penfolds sells it for $40 in the US. Ours is $29.97, and 60 bottles arrive this Friday, September 18th.
Why We Think It Makes the Top 10
Wine Spectator weighs four things when it builds the list: quality, value, availability and what it calls the “X-factor.” The 2023 Bin 28 has 94 points, a $40 retail price and 9,937 cases imported into the US. For the X-factor, it is Penfolds’ first Bin wine, made every year since 1959.
Wine Spectator has put Penfolds Bin wines on the list before. The 2018 Bin 28 ranked No. 41 in 2020 with 93 points, and the 2022 Bin 389 ranked No. 12 in 2024 with 94. The 2023 Bin 28 matches that Bin 389 score.
Penfolds’ First Bin Wine
Penfolds bought the Kalimna Vineyard in the Barossa Valley in 1945, and the first Bin 28, in 1959, came entirely from it. Today it is a multi-region blend: the 2023 is 42% Barossa Valley, 31% Padthaway and 27% McLaren Vale, aged 12 months in American oak hogsheads.
It is approachable now, and Decanter gives it until 2043.
“Baby Grange”
Penfolds fans have a nickname you may know: “Baby Grange.” It belongs to Bin 389, which matures partly in barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. However, one sip and you'll see why Bin 28 "steals" it in this vintage. This drinks times it's price. It will age like it, too.
James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Why This Matters
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94 points from Wine Spectator. James Halliday gives it 95, and Decanter, Winepilot, Wine Advocate and James Suckling all score it 93 or higher. |
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Decanter’s star buy. Tina Gellie called it the star buy from this year’s Penfolds collection. |
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A Wine Spectator track record. The 2018 Bin 28 made the Top 100 at No. 41, and the 2022 Bin 389 reached No. 12 in 2024. |
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$29.97 against a $40 retail. Only 60 bottles, arriving Friday, September 18th. |
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The Wine · Only 60 Bottles
2023 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
Penfolds’ first Bin wine, and our greatest buy of the year.
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2023 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
South Australia · Shiraz
Bin 28 began in 1959, when Penfolds made it solely from the Kalimna Vineyard in the Barossa. The 2023 blends Barossa Valley fruit with Padthaway and McLaren Vale and spends 12 months in American oak hogsheads. Expect blackberry, black cherry and mulberry pie with dark chocolate, held together by fine, strong tannins.
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95
James Halliday
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94
Wine Spectator
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94
Winepilot
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94
Decanter
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93
Wine Advocate
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93
James Suckling
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James Halliday Wine Companion
95 Points
Deep crimson with a strong aromatic profile of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry studded with mixed spice, blackforest cake, roasting meats, panforte, dark chocolate and earth. Plenty of depth and latent fruit power with this release; perhaps a little more power than last year’s model, with fine, strong tannins supporting the fruit beautifully. A strong release for the Bin 28 Shiraz. — Dave Brookes, July 2025
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Wine Spectator
94 Points
Offers an exuberant mix of fresh huckleberry, boysenberry and blackberry syrup, plus framboise. Accents of toasted green tea, milk chocolate and rose petal emerge, along with clove, apricot and cardamom, all on a juicy, approachable frame, with dense tannins that never get in the way of the concentrated flavors. Drink now through 2038. — MaryAnn Worobiec, December 2025
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Decanter
94 Points
Penfolds’ first Bin wine, from 1959… There’s more new wood this year (15%), but it wears it beautifully, and that firm tannic backbone promises to carry this already approachable wine through the next two decades. Mulberry pie aromas, inviting with lots of vanilla and sweet baking spices, joined by savoury olive brine, tarmac and liquorice. The fresh but concentrated palate has more of the same, along with dark chocolate-coated cherries. Really impressive already, with more to come; the star buy from this year’s collection. — Tina Gellie, June 2025
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| First Vintage |
1959 · Penfolds’ first Bin wine |
| Blend |
Shiraz · 42% Barossa Valley, 31% Padthaway, 27% McLaren Vale |
| Cellar |
12 months in American oak hogsheads, 15% new |
| Imported |
9,937 cases (Wine Spectator) |
| Drink |
Now through 2038 (Wine Spectator) · to 2043 (Decanter) |
| Retail: $40.00 |
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$29.97 / bottle
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| • Only 60 Bottles Arriving Friday, September 18th |
How is it $29.97 when Penfolds’ US retail is $40? We negotiate hard and lean on long partnerships with our distributors, and the savings go to our Artisans.
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The Rest of Our Penfolds
From “Baby Grange” to Grange
The South Australian Penfolds in our cellar right now, from Bin 389 up to Grange.
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Bin 389 · “Baby Grange”
2018 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz
Aged partly in barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange.
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2018 Penfolds Bin 389
South Australia · Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
Max Schubert first made Bin 389 in 1960. Its nickname comes from the cellar: part of the wine matures in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. The 2018 is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Shiraz.
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97
James Suckling
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96
Decanter
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94
Vinous
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93
Wine Advocate
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92
Wine Spectator
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James Suckling
97 Points
A blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon and 43% shiraz, this has a very impressively complete feel, a hallmark of the 2018 vintage wines… So integrated. The palate has a very silky texture, so plush and polished with a wealth of rich and intense dark-plum, dark-berry and blackcurrant flavors. The oak is completely soaked with ripe, fresh fruit. This is a great Bin 389. Drink over the next two decades. — July 2020
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Decanter
96 Points
Confident Cabernet (57%) leads this high-spirited, swirling dance, as a breezy wisp of blue and black berries waft over the earthy bulk of sturdy Shiraz. It’s a clever trick for such bright fruit to be contained by tannins in an interlocked embrace, without smothering the obvious exuberance of this marriage. Supple and nimble, it keeps shifting and changing in the glass. A truly beautiful blend. — David Sly, July 2020
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Bin 407 · Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds Bin 407: 2019 and 2018
Penfolds’ Cabernet Sauvignon, blended from vineyards across South Australia.
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Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
South Australia · Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2019 draws on Padthaway, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. Decanter scored it 98, and the 2018 96.
The 2019
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98
Decanter
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94
James Halliday
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93
Wine Spectator
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93
James Suckling
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93
Vinous
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Decanter
98 Points
Cabernet Sauvignon has provided a high point in Penfolds tastings through recent years, and this beauty seduces from the first whiff. Showing note-perfect varietal aromas, with a breeze of ripe purple fruit over fresh, leafy herbs and rich red earth, the perfume is full and persistent. The entry is sharp and arresting, with fruit purity on point and channeled down the right corridors by supple tannins and a clean acid seam. It shows exemplary balance through to the long finish. — David Sly, June 2021
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The 2018
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96
Decanter
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94
James Suckling
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92
Wine Advocate
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Decanter
96 Points
The complete Cabernet chorus sings its way out of the glass, fruit, leaf and flower, all in perfect harmony. Rich from the outset, it draws together a full body with grace and elegance, while fine tannins sustain the velvet plushness that rolls through. You’re left with complex aftertaste that provides exactly what the nose suggests. The circle is complete. An inspiring wine.
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| Elsewhere: $80.00 |
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$69.97 / bottle
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RWT Bin 798 · Barossa Shiraz
2018 Penfolds RWT Bin 798 Shiraz
Barossa Valley Shiraz, aged only in French oak.
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2018 Penfolds RWT Bin 798
Barossa Valley · Shiraz
RWT stands for Red Winemaking Trial, a line that began with the 1997 vintage. It comes only from the Barossa Valley and ages exclusively in French oak, which sets it apart from the rest of the Penfolds range.
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98
Wine Advocate
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96
James Suckling
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96
Decanter
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95
Wine Spectator
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95
Vinous
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Wine Advocate
98 Points
Always a sexy, voluptuous wine (and admittedly a personal favorite), the 2018 RWT Shiraz ratchets that up to new heights in a great Barossa vintage, boasting layers of berry-like fruit, refined vanilla shadings and baking-spice notes, plus more exotic elements like star anise and cocoa powder. It’s full-bodied and plush without being unstructured in any way, with a lingering, complex finish and the concentration to age two decades or more. — Joe Czerwinski
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James Suckling
96 Points
This has a very attractively fresh, showy feel to the nose with aromas of ripe red cherries, blackberries, goji berries and redcurrants… Very expressive and fragrant. The palate has a super intense and powerful delivery of ripe red-cherry and plum flavors and immaculately fresh French oak (64% new) that really clasps and holds the finish long. The tannins are so ripe and well positioned. Drink over two decades. — July 2020
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Grange · Penfolds’ Flagship
Penfolds Grange: 2018 and 2020
James Suckling’s 100-point 2018, and a 2020 he calls one of the most refined in a long time.
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Penfolds Grange Shiraz
South Australia · Shiraz
Grange is Penfolds’ flagship Shiraz, aged in new American oak hogsheads: 18 months for the 2018 and 20 months for the 2020.
The 2018
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100
James Suckling
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100
Wine Independent
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99
Wine Advocate
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98
Vinous
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98
Wine Enthusiast
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98
Wine Spectator
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James Suckling
100 Points · Top 100 of 2022
A robust Grange from a lauded vintage, this wields sheer power with such compelling prowess. Uncompromising Grange. There are rich blackberries and plums on offer, together with brazen oak and abundant notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, charcoal, cola and hard brown spices. So fiery and intense… The tannins are polished and long, extruding deep into the finish and holding endlessly… One of the greatest Granges that will drink magnificently for decades to come. — June 2022
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The 2020
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97
James Suckling
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97
Wine Enthusiast
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96
Wine Independent
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96
Wine Spectator
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95
Wine Advocate
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95
Vinous
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James Suckling
97 Points
Blackberry, blueberry, graphite and terra cotta aromas. Medium-bodied with clarity, focus and very fine tannins that are polished and caressing. One of the most refined and textural Granges I have had in a long time. The tannins are very resolved… Very drinkable now, but will age beautifully. — May 2024
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The California Collection
Penfolds, Made With Napa Valley Cabernet
Bin 600, Bin 704 and Quantum Bin 98, the Penfolds wines built on California fruit.
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Bin 600 · California
2018 Penfolds Bin 600 Cabernet-Shiraz
Napa Valley and Sonoma Cabernet with Paso Robles Shiraz.
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2018 Penfolds Bin 600
California · Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
The 2018 blends 78% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and Sonoma with 22% Shiraz from Paso Robles, aged 16 months in oak.
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93
James Suckling
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93
Wine Enthusiast
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92
Vinous
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92
Decanter
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90
Wine Advocate
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James Suckling
93 Points
A very fine and polished red with cherry, berry, chocolate and cedar aromas and flavors. Some spice and meat with hints of tea leaf. Some ash, too. Medium body and extremely refined texture, showing real balance and elegance. The tannins spread across the palate in a beautiful way. — February 2021
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Wine Enthusiast
93 Points
This is a blend of 78% Napa Valley- and Sonoma-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Shiraz from Paso Robles. It is a smooth and earthy wine that offers flavors of leather, earth, iron and crushed rock cut against herbal accents. — Virginie Boone, April 2021
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$64.97 / bottle
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$59.97 / btl at 6+ save $30.00
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| Case pricing applies automatically at checkout. No code needed. |
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Bin 704 · Napa Valley Cabernet
Penfolds Bin 704: 2018 and 2021
Chief winemaker Peter Gago calls it “the hemispherical inverse of Bin 407.”
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Penfolds Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley · Cabernet Sauvignon
Bin 704 is Penfolds’ Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, first made with the 2018 vintage.
The 2018
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96
Wine Enthusiast
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95
James Suckling
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95
James Halliday
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95
Decanter
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93
Vinous
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Wine Enthusiast
96 Points
This is the first vintage of the Australian producer’s foray into Napa Valley. It is tightly structured yet supple, bursting in bright currant and strawberry flavors. Savory components of sage, dried herb and black pepper dot the palate alongside silky tannins and chocolate-laced richness. A fresh touch of blood orange arises on the finish. Enjoy from 2028–2033. — Virginie Boone, February 2021
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$94.97 / bottle
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$89.97 / btl at 6+ save $30.00
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$85.97 / btl at 12+ save $108.00
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| Case pricing applies automatically at checkout. No code needed. |
The 2021
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95
James Suckling
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94
Vinous
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93
Decanter
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Vinous
94 Points
This 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 704 is composed and understated at this early stage. Cocoa bean and cedar support gravelly, dark earthy tones. A strong fist of flavor shows intent, its composure impressive again, and unwinding over a lengthy, fine finish assisted by ample tannins. Very young but well formed and built to last. — Angus Hughson, August 2024
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Quantum Bin 98 · “Wine of the World”
2018 Penfolds Quantum Bin 98
Napa Valley Cabernet with about one-fifth South Australian fruit.
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2018 Penfolds Quantum Bin 98
Napa Valley & South Australia · Cabernet Sauvignon
Quantum blends Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, mostly from Oakville and Diamond Mountain, with about one-fifth South Australian fruit. The 2018 was its first release, aged 16 months in new oak.
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98
James Suckling
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97+
Wine Advocate
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96
Decanter
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95
Wine Enthusiast
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James Suckling
98 Points
What sticks with you about this global blend of Napa and Southern Australian wine is the intense and transparent purple and blue fruit. Lots of blackberry and blueberry aromas with some stones and flowers, such as violets. It’s a very layered and intense wine with very refined, creamy and chewy tannins. Full and very impressive. Very Penfolds. Mouth-filling texture. — January 2021
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Wine Advocate
97+ Points
Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a good amount of swirling to unlock slowly emerging scents of chocolate-covered cherries, plum preserves, blueberry compote and cassis… Medium to full-bodied, the generously fruited palate explodes in the mouth with ripe, juicy black and blue fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and a lovely burst of freshness, finishing long and spicy.
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| Elsewhere: $669.00 |
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$599.99 / bottle
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The Bottom Line
Our Wine Spectator Top 10 pick, for $29.97.
The 2023 Bin 28 has 94 points from Wine Spectator and 95 from James Halliday, and Decanter named it the star buy of this year’s Penfolds collection. Penfolds sells it for $40 in the US; ours is $29.97.
Sixty bottles arrive this Friday, September 18th. If you want a Bin 389, a Grange or a Bin 704 to go with them, those are in stock now.
Cheers,
— James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Take Your Pick
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