The 2009 Penfolds Bin Series release delivers house style with regionality, vintage variation and varietal definition.

SHANGHAI, MARCH 27 – ASC Fine Wines, “China’s greatest fine wine importer” (Robert M. Parker, Jr.) and Penfolds are pleased to announce the newest release, on April 1st, 2009, of the iconic Penfolds Bin Series consisting of 6 wines from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 vintages. ASC Fine Wines is the exclusive distributor of Penfolds in the Chinese Mainland.

The 2009 Penfolds Bin release is a fine example of the diversity that vintage, variety and terroir can deliver. While there are remarkable differences among these wines, each one retains a shared strand of DNA that keeps this family together – the Penfolds House Style.

The 2009 Penfolds Bin release will be celebrated with events on April 2nd in Hangzhou and April 8th in Beijing and following this full stocks of the new releases will be commercially available in May.

The strength of the 2009 Penfolds Bin release can be divided into two distinct categories:

• The outstanding 2006 South Australian red vintage provides the backbone for the Penfolds Bin 389, 28 and 407 wines.
  
  
• A celebration of regional red wines which have thrived in the difficult 2007 vintage - disciplined winemaking practices with both the Penfolds Bin 138 Barossa Valley Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz and the Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz have produced wines that eclipse the difficult vintage they encountered.
  

The complete collection includes:

• 2008 Penfolds Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling
• 2006 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
• 2007 Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz
• 2007 Penfolds Bin 138 Barossa Valley Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz
• 2006 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2006 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
  

Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago said, “The 2009 Penfolds Bin release is a fine example of the diversity that vintage, variety and terroir can deliver. While there are remarkable differences among these Bin wines, each one retains a shared strand of DNA that keeps this family together – the Penfolds House Style.”

The 2006 vintage has certainly helped the viticulture and winemaking team deliver a very special collection of wines. “I’m in agreement with the latest Penfolds Rewards of Patience Panel, who awarded red stars for the 2006 vintages of Bins 389, 28 and 407.”

“The Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz possesses Penfolds Grange aromatics and persistence where Cabernet and Shiraz are as one, and it’s a great follow-up to the 2005 and 2004 releases,” Peter said. Specifically, the 2006 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz is bright deep-red with an impenetrable core. It also displays textbook structure: tannin, acidity, balance.

The 2006 vintage has also delivered a classic Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz – indelibly stamped and true to the Penfolds style. In the glass the colour is deep, dense crimson with a black core. The palate is spiced, dark and liquorice and chocolate.

Not to be caught in Shiraz’s shadow, Cabernet (and in particular South Australia’s Limestone Coast) enjoyed an outstanding vintage, which Peter Gago said delivered an impressive year for Cabernet and one of the stronger 407s. This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from these regions in South Australia - Robe, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Barossa Valle). Deep crimson red in colour it shows ripe, concentrated and varietal definition.

True to the Penfolds House Style, these wines all have a healthy future ahead of them if correctly cellared. The sixth edition of The Rewards of Patience suggests the Bin 389 has a cellaring potential stretching to 2035, the Bin 407 should still be singing in 2025 and the Bin 28 is expected to continue running well up until 2030.