“2013 is a really strong vintage for us across all areas,” says Penfolds Senior red Winemaker, Steve Lienert. “A good year, a little more concentrated than 2012, and structurally a bit denser due to lower yields and drought conditions.” He rates it up with 2010, long-lived, yet different in style. My impressions are slightly less flattering, though nonetheless a solid vintage, and 389 again rises above the pack. In sheer persistence alone, this goes down among the great vintages of Bin 389. It’s one for the cellar, a season of concentration, deep structure and vibrant colour that upholds brightness and promises decades of longevity. Blackcurrant and blackberry fruits meet black plums and liquorice, set against a backdrop of dark chocolate oak. A wall of tannins, fine and firm, securely structured yet polished, coax out a finish of outstanding persistence and impeccable line. Wow. A blend of 51% cabernet and 49% shiraz from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Wrattonbully and Coonawarra, matured for 12 months in 28% new American oak hogsheads. 15 October 2015 release.