Penfolds : Bin 28 Shiraz 2022

The 2022 Bin 28 Shiraz differs from the 128 in that the latter is sourced solely from Coonawarra and matured in French oak. Here, the Bin 28 comes from McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway and Wrattonbully and is matured in American oak. I find this wine to be concentrated and fierce, with plentiful tannins that are a little rugged. They frame the succulent, ripe, juicy fruit and present the wine as a complete package. This is a huge wine, and fans of the style will be thrilled this season because it is a lot of everything: beautiful fruit, abundant tannin, obvious oak and enduring length. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.68 and 6.6 grams per liter of total acidity.

Offers an impressive mix of fruit flavors and oak influences, finding an expressive balance between framboise, cherry and pomegranate flavors that are ripe, fleshy and fresh. On the oak side, smooth vanilla, almond nougat and milk chocolate notes are showy, along with grace notes of cedar, Saigon cinnamon and clove. Drink now through 2033. 12,360 cases imported.

Softer than its Coonawarra cousin (Bin 128 Shiraz), this multi-region amalgam presents a chocolatey edge to the dark plum flavours of well-rounded Shiraz, yet it still has great drive, taking the fruit on a leisurely journey through a lengthy mid-palate that never stretches too wide. This wine has replaced the popular Kalimna Shiraz in the Penfolds line-up, renamed due to the broad sourcing of Shiraz grapes from four regions across South Australia, but it represents the same kind of red-fruited generosity and warm embrace as its predecessor.

The aromas of crushed stones and blackberries are impressive. Dark fruit and dusty tannins spread across the medium-bodied palate. It delivers plenty of pretty fruit that goes long and focused. Drink now or hold. Screw cap.

Fans of classically broad-shouldered, flavorsome vintages of Shiraz Bin 28 will be very happy with the 2022. It is bold yet balanced, rich and ripe, but also with a strong core and cellaring potential. It radiates blackberry, cherry compote, and new leather aromas with faint spicy tones. The structure shows its class, particularly with tannin ripeness and weight that keeps the wine’s shape through to a lengthy finish. Enjoyable now, but it will be impressive after a decade in the cellar.

The 2022 Bin 28 Shiraz was aged for 12 months in seasoned American oak hogsheads. Deep garnet-purple in color, notes of boysenberries, black cherries and fresh raspberries shoot from the glass, followed by touches of anise and tar with a pinch of Sichuan pepper. The medium- to full-bodied palate delivers bright, cheery red and black fruit flavors with a lively line and ripe, rounded tannins, finishing on a peppery note. According to chief winemaker Peter Gago, 2021 and 2022 in South Australia were as good as it gets for grape-growing. 2022 was relatively cool—cooler than 2021. There were no temperature peaks above 35 degrees Celsius in 2022.