An excellent 389 with length, concentration and polish, especially with respect to the almost sour-edged blueberry notes of its spicy plum/cassis fruit, its integration of smoky, chocolatey American oak and fine, but drying astringency. It borders on the minty and touches on varnishy, but presents a complete package for drinking now or extended cellaring.

Elegant, polished and restrained wine dominated by the mint/menthol characters of the Padthaway proportion of its fruit. Leafy small berry cabernet influences combine with leathery, spicy shiraz, while creamy oak and velvet-smooth tannins provide gentle support. A very different Bin 389.

A tightly focused, firm and sassy 389 of structure and sophistication. Deeply scented with alluring and lightly spicy aromas of crushed dark berries and cedary oak, this slightly meaty red blend reveals undertones of briar, white pepper, mint and a hint of game. Long and smooth, its intense and dark-fruited palate of cassis, mulberries, cherries and plums is underpinned by a chalky chassis of firm tannin. It slowly reveals nuances of dried herbs and underlying meatiness, while its generous complement of vanilla oak shows some classy integration. It’s a lot more contemporary than the traditional 389, but very impressive, all the same.

Long, dark and assertive, this dense, meaty and riper expression of this style is impressively structured, deeply packed with fruit but also more of a fractionally raw and bruising wine that simply demands time before it ultimately softens. Deeply aromatic, with a dark, smoky presence of plums, blackberries and fresh cedar/vanilla/dark chocolate oak, itÕs backed by nuances of leathery evolution, currants and licorice. Framed by firm, drying tannins, it finishes slightly too raw for a higher rating.