Penfolds Bin 138 Barossa Valley GSM 2024
- 93
- $60
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48% Grenache, 46% Shiraz, 6% Mataro from Barossa Valley; nine months in seasoned French (63%) and American (37%) oak hogsheads. Bright red fruits define the opening with raspberry, red cherry and plum joined by dried herbs, baking spice and subtle florals. The palate is supple and generous, balancing juicy fruit with savoury complexity and gently structured tannins. Fresh acidity keeps the blend lively and drinkable, making for another polished and characterful Barossa GSM.
by Ken Gargett
The blend is 48% Grenache, 46% Shiraz and 6% Mataro, all Barossa Valley fruit. Maturation is for nine months in older oak hogsheads, 63% French and 37% American. Dark magenta with a purple rim, this is deeply flavoured throughout. We have aromas weaving through notes of chocolate, coffee grinds, beef stock, black olives, licorice, blackberries, cigar boxes and dried herbs. Love it. There is early complexity evident and the palate sees the emergence of notes of mulberries, soy, cassis, dark plums and boysenberries. The integration of oak seems so near invisible that it is no surprise to learn that there is no new oak at all involved in the maturation. A wine of medium to good length with satiny tannins and juicy acidity, it finishes with a touch of sour cherries. There is balance throughout and excellent length here. Enjoy this for the next fifteen years. An absolutely cracking 138, which simply got better and better the longer it was in glass. 2026 – 2041. 95 Points
Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.
