Fascinating to compare the Shiraz-lead Grange Grange and Cabernet Sauvignon-lead “poor man’s Grange,” a.k.a. Bin 389. The tasting was notable for the consistency of vintage character across both wines and the sheer class of the relatively modestly priced Bin 389 – save for the 1986, junior held up well!
Australia has been criticised for undermining the credibility of its wines through deep discounting and Penfolds has been no stranger to this practice in the past. I can recall picking up 3 bottles of Bin 389 1996 for £20 several years ago (more or less the price of one bottle today) and while all of us are keen to bag a bargain, it’s performance today suggests this is a wine well worth its (full) price tag. Predictably but none the less pleasurably for it, the Grange proved magisterial, save for the less epic in proportion 1990.
The 1996 and 1998 were my standout vintages and though super-youthful, 2004, showed an exceptionally vivid purity of fruit.
1986 – a dry yet mild vintage.
Bin 389 (68% Cab, 32% Shiraz) – bricky core with a wide, more developed rim; a savoury Cabernet nose showing “meat pan juices’ with cedar and tar. Quite lively on the attack with blackberry and plum though fading and quite lean through the mid-palate and finish. Drink up.
Grange (87% Shiraz, 13% Cab) – much greater depth of colour; interesting nose, smoky with pronounced iodine/salty character, showing a briary sweetness as it warms up. A whisp of smoke and iodine threads through a complex, balanced and long palate supported by textured, grainy tannins. Good weight of blackcurrant/cassis, with attractive savoury undertow so still plenty of go.
1990 – a warm, dry growing season and harvest.
Bin 389 (63% Cab, 37% Shiraz) – deep plum; the nose shows leafy mint notes with plum and roasted coffee; the Shiraz performs its role well, plumping out the mid-palate with liquorice and toast/roast coffee-edged plum while the Cabernet provides sleek black fruits, firmly supported by ripe tannins; long and seamless.
Grange (Shiraz, Cab) – quite developed plum and garnet with a forward nose and palate showing sandalwood and spice. Lacks oomph and tastes relatively dry though has an attractive intensity of raspberry, plum and spice with well-modulated, grainy tannins. Not persuaded that this bottle will last until 2030 as suggested and this chimes with my previous tasting notes of this vintage in 2006.
1991 – mild start, then long dry growing season with a heat burst bringing forward vintage by a week.
Bin 389 (67% Cab, Shiraz 33%) – more depth of colour than the 1990 and, all told, a wine of chunkier and chewier dimension with a lovely freshness and vibrancy to its juicy core of black fruits. Liquorice and savoury meat pan juices lend complexity.
Grange (Shiraz, Cab) - significantly darker and infinitely more vibrant and youthful than the 1990 with plenty of rippling muscle and get go. Rich ripe plum and black fruits with liquorice and a burnish of toasty oak are held in check by ripe but assertive tannins.
1996 – long, dry growing season marked by a cool start.
Bin 389 (69% Cab, 31% Shiraz) – good depth of colour, still quite tight and toasty on the nose with lifted eucalyptus that follows through on the palate. Lovely depth and definition of blackcurrant and berry fruit with liquorice and a malty, savoury edge. Firm ripe tannins in support – lots to enjoy here and will keep 10+ years – will keep you posted – I still have two bottles!
Grange (94% Shiraz, 6% Cabernet) – a vibrant, inky hue and tight nose overlaid with liquorice, menthol and soy notes holds much promise. Sure enough the palate is impressively muscular, lithe and layered with soy, aniseed, menthol, smoke, toast and leather notes intermingled with a deep seam of blackberry and blackcurrant/cassis fruit. Ample support from ripe but present tannins. Pwhoar!
1998 – a cool spring followed by very hot, dry weather produced excellent fruit.
Bin 389 (Cab, Shiraz – percentages not given) – very deep, youthful appearance with a savoury, burnished oak nose with soy and liquorice. Great depth of flavour with juicy blackberry and blackcurrant, powdery fine tannins and a veneer of oak; very polished, still quite tight, showing soy as it warms up in the glass. Impressive.
Grange (97% Shiraz, 3% Cab) – quite sappy, closed nose shows lots of exuberant primary fruit; the palate is equally youthful with pronounced malty oak, liquorice and well defined juicy blackberry and blackcurrant. Impressive length, depth and poise.
2004 – a mild February followed by a warm March and April produced intense, elegant wines.
Bin 389 (53% Cab, 47% Shiraz) – so deep, youthful and primary that it has the sappy exuberance of a barrel sample; a tight-knit palate shows powdered (concentrated but pure) blackcurrant and powdery tannins. Impressive fruit purity; tons of potential.
Grange (96% Shiraz, 4% Cab) – though currently overlaid with oak, there is great purity to its underlying blackcurrant fruit and an intriguing floral/spice exotic note; compact with fine, powdery tannins – a long, beautiful life ahead of this…
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
24 June 2009
