by Bob Ross » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:56 pm
I thought this set of TNs from five years ago might fit your thread, Bill, since the 1998 showed so well then:
1/20/01 Sat Penfolds – The Australian Grand Cru. The tasting covered six vintages of Bin 389: 1980, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1996 and 1998, and the 1988 Grange. This was a perfectly organized version of a trade tasting in an educational format. Jim Turcott, regional sales guy for Penfolds, was the emcee; and Ian Shepherd, the winemaker at Seven Peaks in California who had also worked on some of these vintages. Both covered the technical and commercial aspects quite well. William Sherrer and Andrea Immer covered consumer and restaurant perspectives for the same wines. A very good balance overall.
Shepherd gave a general description of Bin 389 – all four of the presenters called it “Bin Three Eight Nine”. I’ve heard it called “Bin Three Eighty Nine”, and Robin Garr said that’s what the tasting room guys in Australia called it as well.
In any event, Bin 389 is a blend of Shiraz from Barossa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon from South East Australia, the blend usually around 55/45, but varying from year to year. It is aged in American oak, 20% new and the balance two to four years old. All four presenters believed that Bin 389 ages well; vintages from the 1960s and 70s are still drinking well.
1980 Penfolds Bin 389 Australia. Shepherd said that 1980 was a cool year with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) dominating. Bright red color, medium hue, good minty aromas and taste, slightly acidic with bright fruit tastes, generally silky mouth feel and long finish. Immer found leather, forest and lead pencil notes. Both she and Sherrer recommended that this vintage be served with simple foods that would not overcome the floral aromas and flavors of the wine: filet, nothing spicy. T3*. (A nice wine for those like me who like their Cabernet Sauvignon old.)
1983 Penfolds Bin 389 Australia. 1983 was a drought year according to Shepherd, a year with severe drought, followed by fire and in the Barossa floods. (Oz also won the America Cup that year.) Harvest was very early, all by February 9; blend 55/45. Deep red color; medium hue; very good fruit and spice aroma; very good fruit tastes with firm tannins and a long finish. This certainly could use more time, and this seems considerably younger than the three years between 1980 and 1983 would suggest. Immer found plums and licorice and a little darker fruit than the 1980, she liked the way the two components had blended together after an hour in the glass. She added it had lots of life left. T3*+.
1991 Penfolds Bin 389 Australia. Shepherd said that 1990 had been a great year in Australia, but that many people preferred the 1991 vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon was outstanding in Coonawarra that year – the blend is 70/30. This wine had a lovely fruit aroma, rich and very spicy, with leafy and eucalyptus notes, and a wonderful balance of fruit, spice, and the two components, long finish, lovely wine. Both Sherrer and Immer recommended matching this wine with foods of similar flavor characteristics. T4*.
Immer found black cherry notes with lots of acidity, and Sherrer suggested rich, smoky foods. Both said that the ’91 was full bodied, but not as ripe as the ’90. In particular, Immer said she had spent considerable time with a Culinary Institute chef experimenting with food matches for the 1991 Bin 389; they found that it went very well with grilled vegetables with a caramelized taste, especially fennel and egg plant.
1993 Penfolds Bin 389 Australia. Shepherd said that 1993 was a very cool vintage, with the latest picking on record on April 19. 60/40 blend. Deep red color; medium hue; very rich fruit aroma with minty notes; relatively simple fruit flavors that showed a bit of development in the glass, good oak, long finish, but concentrated and closed. Promising wine. T4*.
1996 Penfolds Bin 389 Australia. A model year in Australia according to Shepherd, rivaling 1990. High yields – 2.5 tons/acre versus 2.0 normally – but excellent fruit. 51/49. Deep red color; medium hue; lovely fruit and especially spice aromas, very ripe fruit, jammy and concentrated with noticeable Shiraz flavors, long finish, lovely, lovely wine. T4*+.
Immer was enthusiastic about this wine: “I’m glad I have some! Yeah!” (She is a small package with wonderful energy and enthusiasm.) Very ripe, jammy, concentrated, stewed fruit. Lots going on here, and both she and Sherrer said it should be served with richer foods. Sherrer called this a sommelier’s dream: Simple enough for beginners to enjoy and yet complex enough for any wine lover to study and enjoy.
1998 Penfolds Bin 389 Australia. Release date in about two months, although the wine is in the bottle; 58/42. Shepherd said the year was quite early. Deep red color, medium hue, excellent fruit aroma and taste, firm acidity, high level of alcohol, very oaky, not yet integrated with the fruit, good structure, needs lots of time, and seems riper than the 1996. T3*+.
Sherrer and Immer suggested grilled duck, venison, fruit sauces and ravioli with cheese to go with this wine.
1998 Penfolds Grange Australia. 95% Shiraz, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Wow! Deep purple color, deep hue, sweet fruit and black spice aromas, complex, great length, perhaps a bit closed but very satisfying after being in the glass for an hour and a half. A wine to drink and not to taste. T5*.
It was a joy to watch Andrea Immer in action and to discuss her book for a few minutes afterwards. Her approach to learning about wine is superb, and I recommend this book strongly to anyone, beginner or more advanced. Her enthusiasm and knowledge is infectious, and her approach is sound. I was delighted to learn that Thor Iverson shared my enthusiasm for her approach, and I commend it to you all.
Regards, Bob
