1986 Penfolds
Shiraz Kalimna Bin 28

BY NEAL MARTIN |&nbsp;MARCH 20, 2023Back a
few years ago, I was tasting a lot of Penfolds and was fortunate enough to
participate in a few epic verticals of this iconic Australian producer. Sadly,
commitments towards Bordeaux and Burgundy mean I taste bottles less frequently;
however, I was reminded of their unerring longevity at a <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-the-harwood-arms-london-uk-mar-2022">recent
BYO at the Harwood Arms</a> to celebrate my birthday.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1679076458803-penfolds+kalimna.jpg">The 1986
Shiraz Kalimna Bin 28 is still youthful in color. The bouquet is precisely
what you would expect from a Barossa Shiraz, though, Penfolds was sourcing from
different regions by this time. Black plums, camphor and dark chocolate scents don’t
hold back; they’re still quite precocious and primal with appealing purity. The
palate is well-balanced but no blockbuster, perhaps partly because, in this
period, they had introduced air bags for gentler pressings. Pliant tannins, sweet
with candied orange peel, mint and leather, there is just a little savouriness
towards the finish. Moderate length. Pretty delicious. The wine prompted discussion
about whether its youthfulness should be considered a negative since it begs
the question about secondary aromas and flavors, exemplified by a gorgeous 1990
Pichon-Baron served in tandem. Yet it is undeniably a Shiraz built to give
pleasure after 37 years and, on this spritely showing, will easily trot along
for another 37 years. 92/Drink 2023-2060. <div></div>© 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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