Proudly displaying intense fruit definition, ripe fleshy palate structure and generosity of flavour , Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz has a long enjoyed universal appeal and award-winning performance at international wine shows.
The earliest releases of Bin 28 were single-vineyard wines, produced from grapes grown on the famous Kalimna vineyard at the northern end of the Barossa Valley. With demand increasing, it became essential to extend sourcing to regions outside the Barossa and so during the 1970s, Bin 28 became a multi-regional, warm-climate South Australian blend.
Early vinification techniques originated from the development of Grange. Today the wine is matured in older American oak hogsheads to enhance fruit complexity and natural tannin structure.
Bin 28 is inherently richer in style than Bin 128 and Koonunga Hill and despite the fact that it can be an earlier drinking style, this wine has a reputation for improving with medium-term cellaring in the right conditions.
Penfolds Bin 28 is a showcase for warm-climate Australian Shiraz - ripe, robust and generously flavoured. First made in 1959, Bin 28 is named after the famous Barossa Valley Kalimna vineyard purchased by Penfolds in 1945 and from which the wine was originally sourced. Today, Bin 28 is a multi-region, multivineyard blend, with the Barossa Valley always well represented, providing a substantial proportion of the fruit for this vintage.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
Winter rainfall was lower than the long-term average for most parts of South Australia. This pattern carried into spring in regions such as McLaren Vale, before rainfall in December replenished soil moisture and a fast and even veraison ensued. Mild daytime temperatures and cool evenings across most of the ripening period allowed impressive flavour development. Warm, dry conditions continued throughout harvest with fruit picked in optimal condition across each vineyard. Smaller berry and bunch sizes were noticeable in most regions. This, coupled with favourable weather conditions, induced great results for traditional quality markers – colour, tannin profile, fruit concentration and flavour depth.
COLOUR
Dense plum red.
NOSE
Red-curranted varietal primary fruits sitting alongside glacéed fruits…cherry, almond, musk. Nuances of tanned leather, aniseed, cooked rhubarb coalesce yet still exude their own aromatic contribution. Earthy, organic Shiraz - pan scrapings, game meat jus, marrow reduction. Honest, true to style.
PALATE
Even and balanced across palate.
Freshness, juiciness with softened supportive tannins … almost a mousse-like (lightened) texture. Milk chocolate/cannoli custard flavours, chocolate milkshake sans malt. Berried fruits, assorted spices.
Palate altogether different to that earlier suggested on nose…positively, intriguingly
