Perth Town Hall

Reviewed – 10 February 2011

When I heard that Peter Gago and the team from Penfolds were coming to town to launch the new release of their famous “Bin” range of wines, I was keen to get a seat. The seat that they saved for me was, however, not one that I had in mind.

I found myself on stage as part of a three man panel to provide commentary on the wines during the evening. So much for sitting at the back of the room quietly sipping my wines. Not all was lost though because there were several significant points to come from the evening.

• Penfolds are back – The evening was one of the best industry functions that I have seen. This was a professionally run event. From the slick event management team to the charismatic Master of Ceremony, nothing was left to chance. If only the panel on stage got to eat some of the numerous courses of food that, by all accounts, were delicious!

• The people involved are passionate – Peter Gago is 100% committed to producing the best wines possible. David Phillips and the marketing team are also keen to re-establish Penfolds as the pre-eminent wine brand in the Australian market! They understand the heritage that they have inherited and are looking to build on it.

• Grape quality is the key – If Paul Georgiadis, one of the suppliers of fruit to Penfolds, is anything to go by, then the numerous suppliers of premium grapes are focused on quality as the number one goals.

The wines are good – seriously good. The key here is the consistency right across the Bin range. From the riesling to the 389 and everything in between, these wines speak quality. It became immediately obvious that the 2008 wines are very classy. (Apparently, most of their fruit was picked before the heat wave). The wines from 2009 were also first rate and the Bin 128 was one of the highlights for the evening.

This tasting was not conducted blind, so it was hard to maintain objectivity when allocating points. Fortunately, I was able to review all the wines prior to the event to write my tasting notes. I have decided to give a point spread to many of the wines to try and get around any bias.

Reviewed

Penfolds – Riesling – Bin 51 – 2010 (17.8). Floral nose, with lime and lemon rind to start. Opened to show musk and lavender and a touch of sherbet. The palate starts off round and generous, with lovely lime acidity to keep the finish tight, then develops very floral fruit characters. Drink now or later.

Penfolds – Chardonnay – Bin 311 – 2010 (17.5+). A serious wine. The whole spectrum of wine-makers’ inputs are on show here. Barrel ferment, lees stirring and partial malo-lactic fermentation are all probably employed. Peaches and cream on the nose evolves into a mealy/nutty nose. The mouth-feel is spot on and there is lemony acid to close. A very modern cool climate wine that will improve for several years.

Penfolds – Pinot Noir – Bin 23 – 2010 (17.5). Solid colour in the glass, with dense fruit on the nose. Closed initially, but develops a lovely perfume with fruitcake spice and a touch of strawberry. The palate is an amalgam of cherry, spice, cedar and cinnamon, with a touch of leather to close. Sappy, savoury notes open up to bright red fruits to close.

Penfolds – Grenache/Shiraz/Mouvedre – Bin 138 – 2009 (17.3 – 17.7). Very attractive purple hue courtesy of the grenache. Whilst there are attractive red fruits and supple tannins, the density of fruit is the key to this wine. Only medium weight in the mouth, the palate is fine and silky. The lack of any obvious oak flavours makes this a great match for food like a plate of antipasto.

Penfolds – Shiraz – Bin 128 – 2009 (18 – 18.5). Classic Penfolds nose. The high quality concentrated fruit is very dense. Cinnamon, cedar, plum, licorice and black pepper. This is a very complex wine. Although the fine grained French oak is apparent, the balance of the Bin 128 is the key to its appeal. A seductive wine that will last for many years.

Penfolds – Shiraz – Bin 28 – 2008. (18 – 18.5). Whilst the family resemblance is immediately obvious, the Bin 28 is more opulent than the Bin 128. The fruit is deliciously ripe, yet there is elegance to this wine. There are fresh plum aromas along with spice, Christmas cake and trademark Penfolds oak handling. This wine is dense and textured, though the finish is a touch grippy right now. An excellent Bin 28 and one that is sure to last for 20 years if cellared properly.

Penfolds – Cabernet Sauvignon – Bin 407 – 2008 (18 – 18.5). Traditionally a favourite of mine in the Penfolds line up, the Bin 407 has been gradually repositioned in price and now sits just below the Bin 389. The key to this wine is that the fruit is ripe rather than jammy. There is a touch of peppermint, blackcurrant and cigar box to the nose with a savouriness running across the top. The palate is superb, though very tight. The line and length are spot on. A balanced wine that needs 5 years to open up.

Penfolds – Shiraz – Bin 150 – 2008 (17.7 – 18.5). Quite a different style to the other Bin wines, 2008 is the first vintage of this wine. Sourced specifically from the Marananga sub-region of the Barossa, the fruit is more lifted and perfumed than the Bin 28. Licorice, earthy notes and even hints of Sunday roast appear on the nose. The palate is very silky with prodigious tannins that are very fine. Hints of mocha and tar to close. An excellent wine, though this was harder to taste as the fruit and structural components are still integrating. One for the long term.

Penfolds – Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz – Bin 389 – 2008 (18.3 – 18.7). This is wine! If anything, even more complex than the rest of the line up. This is full of subtleties and evolves in the glass. Cedar, plum, cherry, blackcurrant, chocolate, leather and coffee are all expressed. The palate is seamless, yet develops a chewy texture to close. The structure is outstanding and the wine is a meal in itself.

Conclusion

A superb line up of wines. The value wines are the Bin 128 and the Bin 28. Every cellar should have some. The pick for me though was the Bin 389. A formidable wine that Peter Gago and the team must be very proud of.