Bin 138 Barossa Valley Shiraz Grenache Mataro 2018
Penfolds
Bin 138 Barossa Valley Shiraz Grenache Mataro 2018
Overview
Overview
Penfolds Bin 138 Shiraz 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 old Barossa Valley vines (some more than 100 years old) and then matured for 12 to 15 months in seasoned oak hogsheads to allow the different varietals to shine through. The first vintage release of this varietal blend was the 1992, labelled ‘Old Vine Barossa Valley’ – it was then elevated to Bin status with the 1998 vintage. Penfolds Bin 138 2018 is one to enjoy for any occassion.
| Varietal | Shiraz Mourvedre Grenache |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Barossa Valley |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
| Alc/Vol | 14.5% |
| Peak Drinking | Now - 2035 |
| Winemaker | The Penfolds Team |
Awards and Accolades
Awards and Accolades
| 95 points | Andrew Caillard MW |
| 95 points | Ken Gargett |
| 17 points | Matthew Jukes |
| 17 points | Jancis Robinson |
Andrew Caillard MW
"Deep crimson. Intense blackberry, musky plum, inky aromas with roasted walnut notes. Generous velvety wine with deep set juicy blackberry, dark chocolate, musky plum fruits, fine plentiful chocolaty firm textures, savoury oak complexity and integrated fine acidity. Finishes chocolaty leafy firm with musky plum aniseed notes. Delicious with superb richness of flavour and power. A highlight of the 2020 Collection – 95 points."
Food Pairing
Food Pairing
Chicken
Pork
Duck
Cured Meat
Pasta
Veg
Pizza
Taste Description
Taste Description
Nose
Raspberry-leaf and pastille fruits (blackberry) jostle to the fore. Barossa boot polish high-notes arise – ever so discretely! Scents of delightfully appealing, almost pungent salty prosciutto/cassoulet/beef ragu/osso buco ... stock(s)? A quince jelly and inky-berried aromatic sign-off at this early stage of bottle maturation. More to be revealed over time.
Flavours and Palate
Juicy, dense and more-ish - a sophisticated varietal and regional matrix unfolds, stamped with Barossa integrity. But, what from what? Best guess: ironstone – from shiraz and a continuum of fresh red and dark berried fruits from its grenache and mataro stablemates. Super-fine tannins permeate across the palate, no doubt contributed by all three varieties. Background oak ever so distant.
Lingers.
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Barossa Valley, South Australia
Just one hour’s drive from South Australia’s capital, Adelaide, lies its gourmet capital (and wine Mecca), Barossa. One of the country’s most beautiful and historic wine regions, Barossa is a magnet for lovers of fine food and wine. Its classic Mediterranean climate, and free-draining red brown soils, makes the region ideal for growing grapes. Barossa produces excellent Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Riesling and Semillon.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
Autumn rainfall was below average, a trend that continued into early winter with only 25% of the long-term average achieved in June. The latter half of winter was wetter, with vines entering the growing season with very healthy moisture profiles. Temperatures were below average during winter, however it warmed substantially through spring boosting vine growth and rushing the vines through flowering. Spring conditions were dry early, followed by plentiful November rainfall which encouraged good, strong canopy development. Summer was dry, with no recorded major rain events. This carried into January with a heat spike around veraison causing vines to stall, pushing the start of vintage out by a week or so. The warm weather carried into autumn, setting up an Indian summer with favourable conditions for ripening grapes, and this coupled with dry conditions set up a high-quality vintage for all three varietals.
The Penfolds Team
Key to the success of Penfolds has been a lineage of visionary winemakers. There have only ever been four Chief Winemakers at the helm of Penfolds – Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, each a custodian of a rich winemaking tradition that goes back for more than 180 years.
Our current Penfolds winemaking team has more than 100 years between them as Penfolds winemakers. They are constantly refining and improving their work, whilst honouring the winemaking techniques of their predecessors.