2010 ««««« Drink now to 2045+.

Deep crimson. Classic ripe blackcurrant and blackberry aromas with mocha, espresso and panforte notes. Generously proportioned with deep-set blackcurrant pastille, blackberry fruits and superb plentiful chocolaty but vigorous tannins and underlying mocha oak complexity. Finishes chocolaty with long tannin plume. Expressive wine with a muscular power.

A whole pantry of aromas and flavours of every kind. The fruit leads but the oak and tannins are superbly balanced. (JH)

Amazing freshness with cherry preserve, blackberry fruits and velvety fine tannins. (JR)

2011 ««« Drink now to 2030.

Medium crimson. Fresh dark cherry, cassis, chinotto and vanilla aromas with espresso bitumen notes. Multi-layered wine with fresh dark cherry, blackcurrant, espresso and black olive panforte flavours, plentiful fine loose-knit chalky tannins and underlying vanilla oak. Forward in development but drinking well.

2012 «««« Drink 2022 to 2040.

Medium-deep crimson. Fresh primary mulberry and blackcurrant aromas with red liquorice notes. Generously concentrated and supple wine with mulberry, cassis and red liquorice flavours, lacy/chalky textures and persistent yet underlying acidity. Finishes juicy and long with savoury nutty notes.

Lovely fresh cocoa and mulberry fruits and abundant tannins. Elegant and pretty but still quite structured. (FW)

A quietly bewitching wine with pure ripe red and black fruits, silken textures and a very gentle tannin squeeze at the finish. (NB)

2013 ««««« Drink now to 2042+.

Deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, ferric, black cherry and roasted coffee aromas with leafy notes. Saturated dark cherry, praline and panforte flavours, fine plentiful leafy tannins, attractive mid-palate richness and underlying espresso notes. Finishes chocolaty firm. Surprising density and power.

Remarkable purity, power and finesse with candied violet, blueberry fruits, smooth even tannins, richness and oak complexity. (JR)

Tightly focussed, composed and packed tight with dark fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice and boot polish. Multi-layered wine not going anywhere in a hurry. (NR)

2014 ««««« Drink 2023 to 2045.

Deep crimson. A lovely aromatic wine with dark cherry and blackcurrant aromas and violet and camomile notes. Beautifully concentrated, plush and dense with crushed dark cherry and pure blackcurrant pastille flavours, fine grainy but vigorous tannins, superb mocha oak integration and long, fresh and juicy acidity. Chocolaty sweet fruit on the finish. A classic Bin 389 with lovely richness, volume and power.

Highly seductive with pure ripe redcurrant, blackberry fruits and spicy floral notes. Supple and fine-grained with a winning balance, freshness and weight. (NB)

Blackberry and dark plum aromas with charred meat, bracken and dried herbs. A savoury and tightly composed wine built on a firm tannin frame. (NR)

2015 ««««« Drink 2024 to 2042.

Deep crimson. Black olive, mulberry and raspberry aromas with liquorice/aniseed notes. Dense mulberry, ink and cassis flavours, plentiful fine chalky loose-knit tannins and roasted chestnut and roasted almond notes. Finishes chocolaty and slightly leafy firm. Lovely drive, volume and structure. Should integrate and expand.

The fruit orchestra is in total unison with all the elements of fruit, oak and tannins in balance. (JH)

Redcurrant, blackberry fruits with a raspberry scented floral lift. Finely framed with beautifully refined tannins. (NR)

2016 ««««« Drink 2025 to 2045+.

Deep crimson. Intense dark cherry and blackberry aromas with mocha and vanilla notes. Dense and chocolaty with sweet dark cherry, blackberry and pastille fruits, plentiful pippy al dente tannins, mid-palate richness/viscosity and mocha espresso notes. Finishes chewy, dense and minerally. Warm, generous and powerful with expressive tannins.

This has all the vitality, fluency and persistency for the long term. (NB)

A glorious future; will coast through its twentieth birthday and well beyond. (JH)

2017 «««« Drink 2025 to 2045+.

Deep crimson. Exuberant and youthful with elderberry, violet, herb and ginger aromas. Plush and richly flavoured with intense elderberry and blackberry fruits, plentiful fine sinewy dry tannins, lovely viscosity on the mid-palate and fresh long acidity.

Polished and pretty with floral, redcurrant, violet aromas. A lovely fruit sheen and deep-set tannins. (NR)

Very pretty with freshly crushed ripe sweet blackberries, floral notes and layers of vanilla and chocolate. Very fresh and youthful with lovely lifted fruit and fine but firm tannin line. (FW)

2018 ««««« Drink 2026 to 2048.

Deep crimson. A tribute to the Penfolds tradition with its intense lifted brambly black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant and dark chocolate aromas and mocha oak complexity. Generous and inky with persistent pure cassis, dark chocolate and chinotto flavours, fine bittersweet textures and integrated mocha/cedar oak notes. Finishes grainy al dente firm. A classic year.

Opulently Penfolds and substantially Bin 389 with black fruits/black forest cake and scorched almond notes. A superb balance between sweet and savoury. What is there not to like? (PG)

Masterful handling of ripe fruit, oak and tannins lies at the core of Bin 389 and the roots of the

Penfolds red wine style. JAMES HALLIDAY, AM

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