90 2005 Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz Coonawarra 9/19/08 ($18)
14.5% alc
Color: Deep garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Jammy black fruits (blackberry, plum and stewed black cherry) and licorice. Also, milk chocolate and cedary oak with lively acidity. (3.0) Body: A rich layer of Syrah coats the mouth with jammy concentration of fruit. Very good acidity and some tannin to support. Solid middleweight plus. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but cedary oak becomes more prevalent here, masking the fruit somewhat. (2.5) Finish: Parallels bouquet, but even more giving, having multilayered fruit with length. The acidity keeps it light on its feet. (3.0)
Overall: With a slightly over-extracted, cedary veneer, I can find some minor faults here. But, it's fruit is delicious (as jammy as it is) and brought into line by structure (acidity and some tannin). So, my technical score says very good, but the overall experience warrants an excellent rating. Excellent value. (14.5)