Bin 311 Chardonnay 2024
£105.00 per 6 bottles IB

"This is about as crowd-pleasing as Aussie Chardonnay gets" 18/20 points. Matthew Jukes

Bin 311 Chardonnay truly reflects the winemakers’ mantra of going where the fruit grows best as reflected in it's multi-regional provenance. Today the cool climate vineyards of Tasmania, Tumbarumba, Henty and the Adelaide Hills are Penfolds' primary sources of fine quality Chardonnay.

Clean, pure, and true to the Bin 311 model, this is a slender wine with gorgeous notes of almonds and white flowers over a formal citrus core, and it has a more succulent mid-palate than some of the edgier recent vintages.  Drawn from cool climate parcels, including fruit from a new property in Tasmania, this is a delightful Bin 311, and it hits the nail on the head.  This is about as crowd-pleasing as Aussie Chardonnay gets, and this remains one of the bargain-priced wines in the collection. 18/20 points. Matthew Jukes

The 2024 Bin 311 Chardonnay leads with toasty notes of pan-roasted dry spices, banana, toasted cashews and white peach. The wine is rich and generous, with a seam of fine, salty acidity that courses through its heart. The fruit is sourced from Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Tumbarumba, and while the conditions in each of these diverse regions differed somewhat, they were aligned in that it was a high-quality growing season. This is powerful and concentrated, with an attractive mealiness through the finish. It matured for eight months in French oak, 18% new. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink Date: 2025 – 2038. 91 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

Bin 28 Shiraz 2023
£105.00 per 6 bottles IB

"2023 Bin 28 is a resounding success, and at thirty quid, it sings a crystal clear Penfolds song that will act as a siren call for lifelong acolytes and newbies alike."
18/20 points. Matthew Jukes

Bin 28 offers a showcase of warm climate Australian Shiraz — ripe, robust and generously flavoured. First made in 1959, Bin 28 was originally named after the famous Barossa Valley Kalimna vineyard purchased by Penfolds in 1945 and from which the wine was originally sourced. Today, Bin 28 is a multi-region, multi-vineyard blend, with the Barossa Valley always well represented.

With 15% new oak, this is more adroit Bin 28 than of late, and while it sports a dinner jacket, you need not worry because there is a pair of familiar dungarees beneath the formal exterior. While the tannins are slightly firmer than in the last few releases, the fruit is subtle, layered, and enticing. Bin 28 has such a loyal following around the world that it might mean people drink this wine with their brains in neutral, letting the familiar fruit wash over their taste buds unhindered. However, I am certain that this vintage will have these fans sitting up straight and paying attention. 2023 Bin 28 is a resounding success, and at thirty quid, it sings a crystal clear Penfolds song that will act as a siren call for lifelong acolytes and newbies alike. 18/20 points. Matthew Jukes

Deep blackish crimson. Warm, ripe, medicinal, pure-Penfolds nose. Heady and back to what Penfolds do best. Home ground! Hint of camphor and lots of sweetness. Round, pleasing, resolved and approachable. Salty, fresh finish after a smooth palate entry. ‘First made in 1959, Bin 28 was originally named after the famous Barossa Valley Kalimna vineyard from which the wine was originally sourced.’ These days, it’s a blend. 42% Barossa Valley, 31% Padthaway, 27% McLaren Vale. 2023 ‘was a year of overcoming climatic challenges’. Matured for 12 months in American oak hogsheads (15% new although originally not meant to be). TA 6.5 g/l, pH 3.64. Penfolds claim this not-expensive wine will last until 2043! Drink 2025 – 2038. Good Value. 17 points. Jancis Robinson

Bin 138 Barossa Valley Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2023
£125.00 per 6 bottles IB

"silky, spicy and medium-bodied, with attractively dry tannins to balance the sweetness from the fruit."
93 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

Bin 138 draws its inspiration from the wines of Southern Rhône, where Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro (Mourvèdre) are blended in varying proportions to create full-bodied wines possessing rich and heady perfume.

Each year fruit for Bin 138 is sourced from the Barossa Valley from well-established vines, including some old vineyards. After fermentation, each varietal is matured separately in mostly seasoned oak hogsheads.

The 2023 Bin 138 is silky, spicy and medium-bodied, with attractively dry tannins to balance the sweetness from the fruit. There are earthy and root, exotic spice and mineral notes, with dark berry fruits. It's a blend of 56% Grenache, 38% Shiraz and the balance Mataro/Mouverdre, all components vinified separately, matured for 12 months in seasoned French and American oak hogsheads. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink: 2025-2038. 93 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate.

Mid-depth garnet. Savoury and meaty on the nose. A little chewy on the end without that much depth but competent and definitely Australian! 56% Grenache, 38% Shiraz, 6% Mataro. The Barossa Valley’s 2023 vintage … was a testament to grape grower’s resilience and adaptation in the face of varied climatic conditions. Cool spring with torrential rain in October continued wet and cool until December/January. The 2023 vintage concluded with yields surpassing expectations, a result of the advantageous late-season weather and vigilance during the spring tempests. Aged for 12 months in seasoned French and American oak hogsheads. Drink: 2026-2034. 16 points. Jancis Robinson

Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2023
£172.00 per 6 bottles IB

"Super-clean, vitally pure and downright delicious, this is a little star." 18 points. Matthew Jukes

With each vintage release the cool-climate Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz provides an interesting counterpoint to the more opulent and richly concentrated warm climate Bin 28 Shiraz.

Bin 128 comprises fruit sourced from the unique terra rossa red clay over limestone soils of Coonawarra, a region that exemplifies the perfume, transparency and seductive nature of cool-climate red table wines. Coonawarra has remained the source of shiraz fruit for Bin 128 since the inaugural release of the 1962 vintage.

While Coonawarra’s Cabernet harvest in 2023 was well below par, Shiraz appears to have fared extremely well. Bin 128 is a perfect case in point, with a lovely, peppery, red-fruited whoosh of flavour that gives it a refreshing Northern Rhône twist. The French oak élévage heightens the spiciness, making Bin 128 a real treat!! Super-clean, vitally pure and downright delicious, this is a little star. 18/20 points. Matthew Jukes.

Blackish purple. Toasty, please-all nose. Sweet and fresh. Sleek and peppery with a dry finish. Should appeal to European palates. Long and lively! Good Value? Very wet and cool spring; generally warm summer but cooler, wetter weather returned throughout harvest. Shiraz ripens earlier than Cabernet, though, so was less badly affected. Aged for 12 months in French oak hogsheads (26% new, 39% one year old). TA 6.2 g/l, pH: 3.62. Drink 2026-2040. 17 points. Jancis Robinson.

Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2023
£279.00 per 6 bottles IB

"a fascinating, highly desirable, and delicious Bin 389." 
18.5 points. Matthew Jukes

Bin 389 was often referred to as ‘Baby Grange’, in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. First made in 1960 by the legendary Max Schubert, this was the wine that helped forge Penfolds reputation with red wine drinkers by combining the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of Shiraz. Exemplifying the judicious balance of fruit and oak, Bin 389 highlights the generous mid-palate Penfolds is known for.

This is a storming vintage for Penfolds’ The Great Australian Red blend.  With spectacular balance and intrinsic fruit harmony, this is an uncommonly precocious wine, and while it is glowering and dark, the tannins are genteel and toothsome.  There is a perfect counterpoint between depth, accuracy, and juiciness, making this a fascinating, highly desirable, and delicious Bin 389. 18.5/20 points. Matthew Jukes

The 2023 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz is inky, complete, powerful and structured, with black berries, sweet licorice, star anise and fennel. There are also notes of roasted meat juices and cedar wood. The expression of this wine is very attractive—the prism of the cooler season works well in this wine. The fruit is sourced from McLaren Vale, Padthaway and Barossa Valley, matured for 12 months in American oak hogsheads, 33% new. Drink Date: 2025 – 2043. 95 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
£306.00 per 6 bottles In Bond

"Great balance of freshness and power."
94 points. James Suckling

Inspired by Bin 707, Bin 407 offers varietal definition and approachability, yet still possesses structure and rich depth of flavour. Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon, the expressive Bin 407 demonstrates the reward of Penfolds multi-regional blending philosophy. A core of ripe fruit is supported by sensitive use of French and American oak.

This is made from declassified vineyards for the famed Bin 707 due to a challenging cool vintage. Aromas of blackcurrants, violets, bitter chocolate, baking spices and scorched earth. The palate is full-bodied with a textural yet refined palate and finely integrated tannins. Great balance of freshness and power. Drink or hold. 94 points. James Suckling.

The 2023 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon carries aromatically both sweet fruit and dried mint, with tannins through the finish that both dry the fruit characters and structure the wine. This is elegant, in its way. It is sourced from Padthaway, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Wrattonbully (all in South Australia). 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink Date: 2025 – 2043. 93 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate