Penfolds Bin 138 GSM 2004.

Looking back through the list of reviewed wines, I can see only one Penfolds previously which was a 1997- Bin 389. Hard to believe as we have enjoyed many bottles over the years and there are still a few lingering in the cellar. Unfortunately these days, they have priced themselves out of our pensioner purse and this particular bottle was opened during the Covid-19 lockdown with wine drinking friends in a Zoom Computer get-together over the internet. We were the envy of everyone on screen!

The current vintage is priced around NZ$50 whereas our bottle cost half that price at the time of purchase. The screw-top meant that the chance of taint was fairly remote and pouring it into the glass, the deep red/purple colour and fruit nose belied the fact that the wine was 17 years old. Served blind, I probably would have chosen it to be 5-10 years of age. Wonderfully balanced, anyone with some still in their cellar can confidently be certain it will be good to drink well into the future.