PenfoldsKalimna Bin 28 Shiraz 2013

From the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Padthaway and Langhorne Creek, matured for 12 months in used American hogsheads handed down from prior duties with Grange, Bin 389 and so forth. Healthy and deep colour, it has a rich bouquet with licorice, spice, dark chocolate and blackberry all in unison. Good stuff indeed, with the savoury/inky/graphite impact of the very long, balanced medium to full-bodied palate. This could well evolve into one of the best Bin 28s.

A statement of blackberry fruit, textbook Barossa shiraz, this has attractive fruit purity - exactly what this wine should be. The palate has been neatly carved but not over-dressed, more blackberry fruit here, chalky, grainy tannins, a little chocolate, bold and youthful. Best in 5 years.

Highly aromatic scents of cassis, blackberry, vanilla and violet, with a smoky Indian spice overtone. Rich, layered and alluringly sweet, offering densely packed flavors of dark berry preserves, spicecake and floral pastilles. Opulent yet lively Shiraz with no apparent no rough edges. Smooth tannins add shape and grip to a very long, smoke-tinged finish, with the berry note strongly repeating.

Thick and velvety flavors of plum and cassis are ripe and generous, showing hints of black tea, mineral and herbs on the finish. Drink now through 2030.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2013 Shiraz Kalimna Bin 28 has a wonderfully exuberant nose of ripe blackberries and blueberries with cracked pepper, roses and asphalt nuances. Medium to full-bodied and open-for-business now, it provides plenty of earth-laced black fruits flavors with a good amount of chew and a long finish.

Very deep purple. Rich and intense on the nose – the most stereotypical South Australian Shiraz so far. Very sweet and chewy – lots of tannin. Beefy, muscular wine. Impressive rather than friendly to my palate.