Thursday, October 1, 2020

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz, 2005


 This wine was a bit of a disappointment...perhaps because I tasted it beside the John Duval Entity Shiraz (below), a much younger and more forceful statement. Actually, John Duval is the former winemaker at Penfolds and probably supervised the making of this Bin 128, which is still a very good wine. 

Penfolds has always believed in preserving the personalities of certain wines that have been in the winery's portfolio for many years. This wine reflects the appellation (Coonawarra), the vintage (2005), and the Bin 128 profile, which were all a little less than what Duval had to work with in his 2015 Entity Shiraz, selected from some of the best old vines in Barossa.

Color is still dark although lacking a bit in brilliance. Forward black fruit, spice and floral aromas with more than the usual amount of vanilla. From what I have read, the 2005 vintage of this wine is fading a bit faster than its 2004 sibling. Ripe fruit gives mid-palate pleasure. Not as deep or concentrated as the Entity Shiraz and the balance is tilting a bit toward the alcohol. But still a very good wine.

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