2018 Penfolds Wines Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz South Australia 750 ml

Penfolds Bin 389 is known the world over as “Baby Grange,” and the 97-point 2018 shows why this Cabernet-Shiraz blend more than deserves the comparison to its iconic 100-point sibling. It’s a concentrated tour de force, structured by fine tannins and dripping with the DNA that made Penfolds Grange one of the world’s unquestioned greats. Bin 389 has also become Australia’s most collected wine—bumping its big brother from the top spot!

By any measure, “Baby Grange” is much more than a catchy moniker for Bin 389. This infinitely more affordable red has earned scores of 96, 96, 96, and 94 points from James Suckling over the last four vintages, keeping pace with Penfolds’ flagship’s record of outstanding consistency. Suckling even singled out today’s 2018 as a special effort, calling it “a great Bin 389.”

Bin 389 was created by legendary Penfolds winemaker Max Schubert in 1960, the same year he officially resumed his beloved Grange. From then on, Bin 389 and Grange came up together, sharing sources and techniques. 

Both wines are multiregional blends using grapes from Penfolds’ top sources in McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, and Wrattonbully (Bin 389 also uses Padthaway fruit). While Grange is dominated by Shiraz and supplemented with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 389 is roughly even: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Shiraz in 2018.  

Bin 389 boasts Penfolds’ incomparable fingerprints at a fraction of the price of their marquee bottle, so it’s no wonder it has become as popular as it is in Australia. It has even inspired counterfeits in certain markets. For our money, it’s one of the smartest buys any red-wine collector can make.