Advice - Penfolds Bin range wines

[frenchkiwi]

Right fellas, don't curse me too much for this, but i just won a 40 bottle wine storage fridge full of 40 bottles of Penfolds bin range wine.

Lady calls me up announces prize and asks how many of their Bins i drank to enter in the competition in the last 6 months (was one of those enter the code off the bottle into the website things).

I said uhhh... one. She called me a lucky b#stard.

They have a set budget for the prize but can change the mix depending on what Bins i want, problem is, the only one i've tried in recent years was the 128. [Very elegant, understated coonawarra shiraz from memory.]

So any Penfolds Bin drinking people out there who can help me make a choice?

Criteria:

- standard bin range is 128 (coon shiraz), 138 (shiraz mourvedre grenache), 28 (barossa shiraz), 23 (adelaide pinot noir), and 407 (cab sav) , 389 (cab shiraz)

- I have a feeling the 707 ain't included in the equation but i will ask ;-) (not listed in same category on website). !

- They will all be recent vintage because it's based on local stock.

- 138 and 28 are big question marks for me, been disappointed by many grenache diluted shiraz and expensive pinot noirs - to avoid or not?

Thanks!

p.s. before you curse my luck check your spam folders in case you won something recently... they sent me an email a week ago with "you've won our comp" which was of course spam filtered and then had to "google-stalk" me to find my number. i coulda lost out easy.

[Fuzz]

Lucky b*stard indeed!

Hopefully Ken will chime in before you have to make your final decision.

I prefer the Bin 28 over the Bin 128 and Bin 138 is a personal favourite in the Penfold Bin range. The 138 is a Rhone styled red, nice spicy, savoury characters and fruit sweetness.

Never been disappointed with the 389 or 407, but after a bad experience in China with the 707 (who the hell mixes red wine with Coke?!) and not to mention the price, I'd rather get the 407 or 389.

Are they offering any of the other Bin reds? (eg 150 Marananga Shiraz, 23 Pinot noir). Are you just limited to the Bin range or can you choose others like St Henris or RWT?

[frenchkiwi]

Lucky b*stard indeed!

Hopefully Ken will chime in before you have to make your final decision.

I prefer the Bin 28 over the Bin 128 and Bin 138 is a personal favourite in the Penfold Bin range. The 138 is a Rhone styled red, nice spicy, savoury characters and fruit sweetness.

Never been disappointed with the 389 or 407, but after a bad experience in China with the 707 (who the hell mixes red wine with Coke?!) and not to mention the price, I'd rather get the 407 or 389.

Are they offering any of the other Bin reds? (eg 150 Marananga Shiraz, 23 Pinot noir). Are you just limited to the Bin range or can you choose others like St Henris or RWT?

thanks fuzz... reassuring re:138

nah it was a Bin range promo for a Bin range prize. they do have 23 (any good?) but they've run out of 150.

[Fuzz]

Pity about the 150, have heard some good things about it. Never tasted the 23, but I've got some tasting notes if you're interested:

"Dark cherry red. Cherries and dark bramble fruits abound with attractive forest notes and lingering warm spice. Subtle charry oak adds additional complexity in a discreet manner, leaving the bright fruit nuances to remain at centre stage. Strawberry and red berry fruits coat the mouth on a bed of soft tannins. A long and persistent finish that lingers and lingers, the wine's silky texture leaves the palate yearning for more. An exciting trio of Adelaide Hills, Penfolds and Pinot Noir. A rich and silky Bin 23 that salutes all things Pinot Noir, yet retains the Penfolds stamp, a clever balancing act. Match with a Taleggio panino on firm but fresh pasta dura, dressed with garden radish, walnuts and rocket jelly, pickled carrot and beets"

FYI, the 2008 Bin 389 made it into Langton's Classifications (outstanding category). The 2008 is also listed as a top vintage year. The 407, 28 and 128 also made it into the classifications in the distinguished category.

[Colt45]

Count me as a fan of the 389 - I've tried quite a few of the bin range, and this is the one that stands out from memory. Personally, I find it ages very well.

I also seem to recall enjoying the Bin 2, a blend of shiraz and mourvèdre, though it's been a number of years since I last tried it.

Enjoy whatever you choose!

[frenchkiwi]

Trawling through the web this was the best review of the 2011 release

http://www.ozwinereview.com/2011/02/penfol...in-release.html

"best" in that it was the only one that didn't just sound like straight cheerleading. 2008-2009 were good harvests for penfolds apparently and make up the majority of the 2011 release so lots of cheerleaders out there!

In the end they only had a few 389s and 407s left in stock (typical cheapskates ... wait a second, i can't really complain here can i ;-) so with 30 odd other bottles to choose from i said a few of each ... but only 2-3 pinot noirs as my wife not keen on pinot at all.

i wouldn't be surprised if the majority disappear within 2-3 years, but hey, have to make space for a few other bottles (maybe even cigars!) in that temperature and humidity controlled cabinet. Thought about selling it to pay off debt but hey - it was unexpected, free, and will be used so... (much more exciting than a blank credit card statement).

Anyways thanks for the advice and here's to your health... slainte!

[Fuzz]

I'd hold on to those 389s and 407s for a bit. I find they need a few years to develop and smooth out their rough edges. The other Bins will also develop with age, but I like drinking them fairly young.

[Ken Gargett]

if it is bin wines, then will be unlikely to include 707, st henri, grange etc. but suspect that would kill the budget anyway. 23 was a one off but if available, worth including.

s a cracker. never been a fan of 407 but if it is 2008 vintage, then a good year for them. 389 always good but the price has skyrocketed in recent years and the value might be three 138s rather than one 389. 28 and 128 usually good.

just on penfolds, did the latest top stuff recently and been under an embargo till now but for those with a hefty bank account, some truly magnificent wines. and a great grange.

[Fuzz]

Gotta agree Ken, the prices really have soared over the last 10 years. I still remembering buying St Henri for $40 and 407 for $30.

Have you tried the Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz? I've heard some good reviews on it but have yet to pick up a bottle.

[Ken Gargett]

Gotta agree Ken, the prices really have soared over the last 10 years. I still remembering buying St Henri for $40 and 407 for $30.

Have you tried the Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz? I've heard some good reviews on it but have yet to pick up a bottle.

i'm pretty certain i have but i think it was under a different label at the time so have to check the notes.

[frenchkiwi]

Gotta agree Ken, the prices really have soared over the last 10 years. I still remembering buying St Henri for $40 and 407 for $30.

well it's seems to be big business now, Fosters driven, rock concerts at the launch and all that kind of stuff...

marketing to hype up the value, world brand, prestige buying, and so forth.

Although huge difference between RRP (e.g. 138 $NZ35; 389 $60) and supermarket wine glut specials (NZ$19 and $39 in my local this week).

[Ken Gargett]

well it's seems to be big business now, Fosters driven, rock concerts at the launch and all that kind of stuff...

marketing to hype up the value, world brand, prestige buying, and so forth.

Although huge difference between RRP (e.g. 138 $NZ35; 389 $60) and supermarket wine glut specials (NZ$19 and $39 in my local this week).

you can normally find 138 around the $20/22 mark but $39 for 389 is great buying. i'd use the fridge money for others and buy the 389 individually at the price.

[frenchkiwi]

you can normally find 138 around the $20/22 mark but $39 for 389 is great buying. i'd use the fridge money for others and buy the 389 individually at the price.

You saying sell the fridge and buy more wine with it? ;-) i would but it would probably only sell for under $1000... (based on recent history of local auction site)

prize is "$5000 value" : a 40-bottle vintec included (worth just over $2000) filled with 40 bottles of bin range.

that's almost $70 a bottle they have left for those 40 bottles in theory but because there will be few 389s 407s i reckon i'll get an average $35/bottle.

Room for a grange and a couple 707s to make up the difference... yeah right... i hinted that but if fell on deaf ears of course

i'm not gonna complain though!

[Ken Gargett]

You saying sell the fridge and buy more wine with it? ;-) i would but it would probably only sell for under $1000... (based on recent history of local auction site)

prize is "$5000 value" : a 40-bottle vintec included (worth just over $2000) filled with 40 bottles of bin range.

that's almost $70 a bottle they have left for those 40 bottles in theory but because there will be few 389s 407s i reckon i'll get an average $35/bottle.

Room for a grange and a couple 707s to make up the difference... yeah right... i hinted that but if fell on deaf ears of course

i'm not gonna complain though!

actually, what i meant was use the allocation on others and buy the 389 at that price.

i'm interested that they value them at $2000. no idea retail but they did i promotion here last year where they were talkiing of them at $750, but i think that might have been a slightly smaller one. i thought 36 bottles? if you bought $120 worth of bin wines, you could buy one for $150. i bought a dozen 138's at $20 each and then got two of them. one for wine, one for cigars.

[frenchkiwi]

actually, what i meant was use the allocation on others and buy the 389 at that price.

i'm interested that they value them at $2000. no idea retail but they did i promotion here last year where they were talkiing of them at $750, but i think that might have been a slightly smaller one. i thought 36 bottles? if you bought $120 worth of bin wines, you could buy one for $150. i bought a dozen 138's at $20 each and then got two of them. one for wine, one for cigars.

yeah i saw that buy $120 get a fridge for $150 promo when i was looking up penfolds... killer deal. did they buy the fridge company just to asset strip and promote their wines ha.

$2000 seems a lot for a 12-15degC fridge that also keeps humidity up. but maybe that's just RRP to rip off the rich keepupwiththejoneses buyers accessorizing their kitchens and keep costs of competitions like these down!

problem with 389 is that it's still just theoretically good for me ... never tasted it. now i'll get 2-3 free bottles which i won't want to open for years for fear of wasting underaged wine so it might be a while.

for $40 could buy half doz jacobs creek 2010s for daily drinking to make the weekend 128s taste extraordinary ...

[Ken Gargett]

yeah i saw that buy $120 get a fridge for $150 promo when i was looking up penfolds... killer deal. did they buy the fridge company just to asset strip and promote their wines ha.

$2000 seems a lot for a 12-15degC fridge that also keeps humidity up. but maybe that's just RRP to rip off the rich keepupwiththejoneses buyers accessorizing their kitchens and keep costs of competitions like these down!

problem with 389 is that it's still just theoretically good for me ... never tasted it. now i'll get 2-3 free bottles which i won't want to open for years for fear of wasting underaged wine so it might be a while.

for $40 could buy half doz jacobs creek 2010s for daily drinking to make the weekend 128s taste extraordinary ...

not in the least. for what you get, JC is great value.

and as for buying the fridge company, i asked peter gago that exact question. apparently not. just arranged the deal with them.

[frenchkiwi]

not in the least. for what you get, JC is great value.

and as for buying the fridge company, i asked peter gago that exact question. apparently not. just arranged the deal with them.

yeah $7 a bottle on special, not quite as cheap as wine on the fill-your-owns in france but some of the best value you can get here.

next time you're in wellington you should pop round and explain all the nuances of the bin range to me over a bottle. eg is it gago's toejam from the grape press that gives it its flavours? etc

[maalouly]

if it is bin wines, then will be unlikely to include 707, st henri, grange etc. but suspect that would kill the budget anyway. 23 was a one off but if available, worth including.

s a cracker. never been a fan of 407 but if it is 2008 vintage, then a good year for them. 389 always good but the price has skyrocketed in recent years and the value might be three 138s rather than one 389. 28 and 128 usually good.

just on penfolds, did the latest top stuff recently and been under an embargo till now but for those with a hefty bank account, some truly magnificent wines. and a great grange.

From memory you reviewed the 06 bin 138 and gave it 92 pts. We should review the rest of the bin family soon