Deep, dense, glass staining red/purple colour. The bouquet is very savoury mixing earthy, spicy, blackstrap licorice and toasty-barrel nuances, the palate savoury and drying, the more sapid and less fruity aspects typical of of the Bin 389 style. There is a blackberry and cassis cabernet note in there too, when you hunt for it. Great intensity, concentration and focus, elegant, taut and long-lingering. A classic 389, ageworthy and very much in the style groove. (53% cabernet, 47% shiraz. Padthaway, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, Barossa Valley)

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz South Australia 2019, The Real Review.

389. Never ever lets you down. Sourced from Padthaway, McLaren Vale, the Barossa, Wrattonbully and Coonawarra, this vintage is 53% Cabernet and 47% Shiraz. 12 months in American hogsheads, a quarter of them new.

Dark magenta with a purple rim. Early days, of course, but this wine is already exhibiting more complexity than most. Warm earth, animal hide, truffles, dark chocolate, beautifully integrated oak, a hint of garden herbs and of a malty chocolate note. Such a gorgeous seductive character. Seamless and supple. Bright acidity in the background. The intensity is maintained on a very long finish. Silky tannins and plenty of them. Good concentration. This wine is so well structured and so impressively balanced. This is a 389 which offers a great deal now but so much more if you can put it away for a decade or two.

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz South Australia 2019, www.winepilot.com.