Penfolds Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2024

Bin 169 is said by Penfolds to reflect a “contemporary” winemaking approach. If that means super ripe fruit, some generous oak handling that consisted of 18 months in French hogsheads (79% new) and a wine that is both well-structured and generous, then yes, I suppose on paper it fits that bill. In the glass, it brings added sophistication and class. Oak is never too far away from the action, but it is integral and meets the fruit. Aromas of pencil lead, graphite, mix with black berries, cassis, blueberries and plums – a riot of fruit – and earth and dried herbs. Arrives tight in focus and fine in texture, alert with energy flowing thanks in large part to a host of spice, earth, spice, herbs and oak bringing lift to a core of lovely Coonawarra cabernet. All class.

by Ken Gargett

100% from Coonawarra, the class of the vintage shines through here. The wine spent a year and a half in French oak hogsheads, 79% of them new. For me, the best 169 I have seen. Opaque maroon with a deep crimson rim, there is great intensity here. The nose gives us aromas of mocha, dried herbs, wild raspberries, chocolate, coffee beans, delicatessen meats, tobacco leaves, cassis and dark plums. Utterly seamless, there is a gorgeous, creamy texture and great length here, with immaculate balance. The wine really has amazing persistence through to the silkiest of tannins. An ethereal Cabernet which will provide enormous pleasure over the next thirty years. 2026 – 2056. 98 Points

by Lisa Cardelli 

The fruit is well kept in check despite the generous portion of relatively small-format (300L) new French oak, 79%. An engaging mix of wild black berries, baking spices, roasted coffee beans and anise, all rounded out by distinctive earthy and dried meat characters, meets you after a few minutes. The tannins are dusty and the acidity utterly refreshing, suggesting an impression of pomegranate. That same acidity lends definition to the rather opulent body, bringing generosity from both the vessel and the fruit while revealing layers of complexity. 2026 – 2052.  96+ pts

by Tom Kline

100% Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon matured for 18 months in French oak hogsheads (79% new). Bin 169 showcases Penfolds’ interpretation of Coonawarra Cabernet through a lens of refinement rather than sheer power, allowing the region’s distinctive fruit purity and structure to take centre stage. Lifted aromas of blackcurrant, mulberry and Bing cherry mingle with violet, bay leaf, cedar, graphite and subtle dried herbs. The palate carries impressive detail rather than weight, with blackcurrant, blackberry, redcurrant and graphite threaded together by savoury herbs and fine cedar spice. The tannins are beautifully sculpted, long and chalky, driving the finish with precision and persistence. Elegant, detailed and quietly powerful. 96 Points

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic