PENFOLDS BIN 128 COONAWARRA SHIRAZ

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz

Vivid deep plum-red. Mulberry, loganberry, blackberry fruits leap forward, front and centre. A zabaglione al caffé creamy/caffeinated lift. Multiple swirls of the glass later – demi-glace and dried herb notes reluctantly teased out. Omnipresent – cedar-mahogany French polish …from oak. Black boot polish, black liquorice and aniseed … from fruit. Cinnamon butter … from? Beckons. Medium-bodied. Red fruits – cranberry, pomegranate, raspberry pips a savoury edge. Creamy, naturally balanced by an interplay of acidity and extract. Madagascar vanillin and juniper enliven the package. Silky tannins induce a finely-layered and almost chalky edge. Back-palate succulence, yet on the actual finish – a tactile cool ‘lift’… and Vietnamese mint?