Winery: Penfolds
Region: South Australia
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2008
Your Wine Guy says:
2008 marks the 50th commercial vintage of the trusty Bin 28 Kalimna. First produced 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.
The Bin 28 is black purple in the glass with a seductive nose displaying plum, liquorice and blackberries. The full bodied palate shows ripe flavours of blackberry, liquorice and plum followed by some spicy oak. Very fine grained tannins. Delightful black fruits, integrated dark chocolate and liquorice flavours arebeautifully framed by fine textured tannins.Very long finish suggests a great cellaring potential too.
95 Points YWG Drink to 2023+
Critics say:
“A fabulous 50th vintage wine. Classic Penfolds choco-berry aromas with a touch of aniseed. The palate is rich and voluminous with plenty of dark berry, praline, sweet fruit flavours, supple ripe tannins and underlying savoury oak. Great to drink now or cellar for a while.”
95 Points Andrew Caillard MW
“We’ve tasted a few Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 releases in our time and the 2008 has just rolled off the line. This edition comes complete with a Registered trademark symbol on the word Kalimna – I wonder what Max Schubert would have thought of that? Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz though has been a darling of Australian red wine lovers for a long time ... time to saddle up and see what this one has to offer.
I’ve tasted it over the course of an hour or more and it hasn’t changed a great deal in that time. It’s right in the groove of what you’d expect of Bin 28 shiraz: it’s an attractive and well-integrated mix of blackberried fruit and smoky, chocolatey oak, with darker and lighter notes of tar and plums. It smells of warm asphalt and its tannin is powdery and solid; almost wrenching. There’s an underlying salty dryness. Before a finish that is satisfying and well balanced. There isn’t a whole lot to get excited about here but it drinks well, and should age well. In terms of a score – I tossed up between 91 and 92, but was never tempted to go higher (or lower) than that.”
92 Points Drink 2014 - 2022 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
The winemaker says:
"The 50th Commercial Release that may rival the 1998 Bin 28. Just like Bin 28s of yore - not for the faint-hearted... fighting above its weight division!
"This vintage will provide both immediate allure and long-term satisfaction."Penfolds Chief Winemaker - Peter Gago.
Colour: A menacing and impenetrable black core.
Nose: Classic Bin 28 fruits and maturation complexities. Satsuma conserve and a (very) faint cigar box background (oak or fruit ?). Aromas of a basking Sunday Roast and / or simmering Beef Bourgogne, shadowed by turmeric and dark Kalamata olive.
Palate: Full-bodied. Assertive, but neither bullying with alcohol nor oak. Dense, great texture & layered - all bases covered. Blueberry Barossa fruits exposed - a la RWT! Christmas Cake mix or
trifle? Perhaps the suggestion of brandy / custard favours the latter? The density, texture and depth of this wine is testament to the strength of the vintage. Peter Gago
Winery/Label Information:
Considered by Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago to rival the outstanding 1998 Bin 28 Shiraz, the 2008 vintage also celebrates the 50th commercial release of the Bin 28 Label. Originally sourced exclusively from the Kalimna Vineyard on the northern edge of the Barossa Valley, Bin 28 continues to retain a healthy Barossa Valley backbone, which has provided 40% of the blend on average over the last five vintages. (The latest 2008 vintage has a backbone of 43% Barossa Valley fruit).- Penfolds |