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. Drink : 2014 - 2020 91+ points Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
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.
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.
