Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(some fine/cloudy sediment).  A striking still dark magenta color with bricking.   On the nose:  subtle perfumed notes of dark fruit, pencil shavings, smoked meat, worn leather, tobacco leaf, eucalyptus.  Taste:  silky, balanced wine with some dried dark fruit, currants, earth, asian spice, dried herbs, and a graphite/dried cherry/coffee ground medium plus finish...lacks some depth and some still there sharp tannins gonna knock the score down.  — 3 months ago

Pooneet K

9.4

In perfect condition and drinking much more youthful than nearly 40 years!! Paired with grilled chicken thighs which went very well given the tannin structure has mostly receded. Acid still very much keeping things together and in check. Nice balance - still some good fruit, great earth, long finish. Hard to argue! — 4 months ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.0

Dark rubi robe, no color evolution, reticent nose of cedar, tobacco and dark fruits. Its a small vintage but the wine is balanced and elegant, drinks well, with these more prominent tannins in better vintages, and lacking a bit of complexity. Its still one of the better 2002 bordeaux we had. — 5 months ago

with Jose, veronique and 4 others

Ted Holland

9.3

Beautiful wine full of fruit and structure. The nose is delicate but I am pulling baking spices, violets and dark fruits. This wine brings balance and finesse that can easily go many more years. Tannins are elegant but strong, not grippy but structured. Delicious leading with dark cherry but developing into an elegant display of terroir and artistry!! Enjoy!! — 7 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2023
South Australia 🇦🇺

Overview
A more tightly wound and concentrated expression of Bin 389, showcasing the same Cabernet-Shiraz framework (Cabernet for backbone, Shiraz for richness) but delivered with greater tension, density, and youthful drive. This vintage leans more serious and structured than 2022, highlighting the fascinating impact vintage conditions have on balance, ripeness, and extraction in agricultural wines.

Aromas & Flavors
Intense blackcurrant, crushed blackberry, dark cherry, and graphite dominate the aromatics, layered with fresh cedar, cocoa nib, and subtle minty spice. The palate is compact and powerful, showing darker fruit concentration, savory spice, and tightly coiled oak structure that promises excellent evolution with time.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and more compact than the 2022. Tannins are firmer and more youthful, giving a punchier, more linear profile. The wine feels energetic and focused, with impressive density and length, clearly built for further integration.

Food Pairings
Char-grilled steak or venison. Slow-braised beef cheeks. Pepper-crusted lamb. Smoked meats and firm aged cheeses.

Verdict
A bolder, more muscular Bin 389 that trades immediate plushness for intensity and aging potential. A striking reminder of how vintage variation shapes personality, same blueprint, very different expression.

Did You Know?
Penfolds sources fruit for Bin 389 from multiple South Australian regions, blending different terroirs and climates to build complexity, consistency, and layered structure across vintages.

🍷 Personal Pick
If you enjoy tracking wine evolution, this is a fantastic candidate for short-to-mid-term cellaring, revisit in a few years to watch the structure melt into harmony. Also check my previous 2022 review!
— 7 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Another beautiful drinking older Napa Cab that was showing younger than its 35 yrs with dark fruits, mocha, cedar, graphite, spice & tobacco — 8 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

2 hour decant. A marvelous medium garnet color (decent fine sediment). On the nose: dark berries, cassis, forest floor, sandalwood, pencil shavings, chocolate, and cigar box. Taste: layered, balanced, still young wine with dark cherry/plum, cedar, dark chocolate, charcoal, and a lingering tobacco/leather finish. YUM! No hurry, a long distance Las Cases. — 9 months ago

with Brenda

Patrick Devine

9.2

Great for dessert, chocolate. Somewhat sweet. — 8 years ago

Jose Rico

9.2

Dark fruits, intense colour, great legs. A real bargain. — 9 years ago

Anne Marie Palmer

9.1

Dark and delicious. Meets it's name enjoyed with a nice grilled steak — 9 years ago

Mandy Capehart

9.1

Excellent stand alone red! — 12 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Poured into a decanter to remove sediment prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 1986 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, green bell pepper, tobacco, dried purple flowers, earth and fine cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium (integrated) tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. A solid but somewhat demure showing, particularly in the midpalate. Drink now. — 3 months ago

Erica Gamble

9.2

Dark color. Oak, dark fruit, peppery finish. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2023 pours a deep ruby/garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose the wine is developing with heady notes of tart cherry, mixed brambles, spearmint, red and purple flowers, old school permanent marker, licorice, tomato, green herbs, clove and stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the body is, ooof…very nice. Another delicious vintage of Cuvée Réservée. Drink now through 2043. — 4 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

These used to be cheap - not any more 40$ for the new vintage this was 26$. Classic and super elegant. A ton of tannins left: 14%. Fermented dark olives. Dark cherries. Way better than the 2013 chianti reserva I popped for our italian dinner club. These are the wines kids should try - but hey our brillant marketing 🤡 priced them out of trying quality nebbiolo so they switch to cocktails and beer! Well done. Will go for 5-10 more years with ease. — 6 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose of black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates and black pepper.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with black currants, black plums, blackberries, cooked cherries, light green vegetables, spices, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

This 10 year old red blend from California is still drinking beautifully. Complex and interesting. Nice to see that it aged nicely.

Showing slight RS on the palate, but I can live with that.

Easy drinking and good by itself as a sipping wine.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Charbono.

15.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60. — 7 months ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.6

Excellent...are truly impressive wine. Power and finesse combined. Still loads of fruits but dark and heavy. Very enjoyable — 7 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This was showing well with notes of red, black fruits, sweet on the palate with savory spice, earth, licorice, leather & tobacco — 8 months ago

Julie Gorsline Perry

10

Black cherry and spice with a chocolate finish — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

10

To me Shafer is among the worlds best wineries. Aged 32 months in 100% new French oak. Vivid deep purple color, and outstanding aromas of red/black fruits, cherries and blackberries, with hints of cedar, floral oak & spice. Tasting this wine was absolutely magnificent, concentrated dark berry fruit flavors, spices, leather and oak, exploding on my palate. Soft velvety subtle tannins provide a nice deep lingering finish. Truly an outstanding Cab, one of the best. If you can find yourself a bottle, do not hesitate. Should last at least 10 more yrs. — 7 years ago

Tricia

9.0

Very rich with flavor. More flavor then the regular red ménage a trois. Both are great! — 9 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.7

Ex-Chateau bottle. Testament to perfect storage. Light Amber edge with a darker core. Started off full of toast and just a whiff of brett. Slow ox for 2 hrs then poured. Amazing life for a 54yr old wine still in its stride. Light and dark fruit with seamless integrity and polish. Classic old BDX. After the initial funk blew off it kept developing in the glass. I could drink this all night long. Awesome — 11 years ago

Scot Walker

9.2

Dark fruit in the nose with plums, black cherries, leather and blackberries in the palate. Paired well with steak au poivre. Drank in 2026, could use aeration to fully enjoy the wine. — 3 months ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.2

This was great but not same level as prior bottles. Perhaps a slightly off cork ? Medium dark rubi robe, nose of blackcurrant, top soil and balsam with hints of cedar. Ever so slightly reticent tannins but overall great length and good complexity. Great now, but no rush. — 4 months ago

with Jose, veronique and 4 others

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have written a few times regarding my tale of Caymus & Caymus Classic. Their vintages post 2011 and their vintages pre 2011.

I have at event tastings that Caymus was pouring, encouraged their staff to talk with Chuck to make both Caymus & Caymus Classic. Recently, I emailed them to pass on my thoughts to Chuck asking him to make both. If you liked Caymus the way it was, I encourage you to do the same. There is a dwelling amount of older, well preserved Caymus Classic vintages. info@wagnerfamilyofwine.com should you be so inclined.

Their post 2011 Caymus Cabernets are picked at higher brix and syrupy sweet. I get why Chuck changed. Many like sweeter Cabernets that drink easy young. That is not my wheelhouse.

In my intermediate wine days, I aged and enjoyed many pre 2012 vintages. This perfect bottle bought on the secondary market at around $70 is extremely well stored. The cork when I cut the foil looked slightly depressed, when I pulled it with an Ah-so was next to new.

I enjoyed this with a Ribcap, not the best wine for that steak but, ok. This 07 is more filet or NY Strip.

The nose shows; a very dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush-blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mellow dark spices, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry tobacco, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender.

This bottle now nearly 18 years in bottle has not faded. It is at its precipice and will hold a few yrs. 2007 a grand Napa vintage. Decanted a little over an hour and enjoyed over the next 90-120 minutes. With this experience, another hour in the decanter is even better.

M-M+ velvety, rounded, tannins. The palate is round, ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush; blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, stewed plum, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries with notes of liqueur overtones, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, black licorice, dark berry cola, distinct dark, Caynus Classic spices w/ palate heat, herbaceous notes, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone/rock, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry river stone, charcoal, notes of menthol, dry tobacco, leather, dry oak barrel shavings, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender, perfect, round acidity with an incredibly; balanced, well knitted-toned-structured, elegantly/smartly polished finish that goes on and on and long sets on beautiful earth & spice.

94+ This experience is becoming rarer & rarer. — 6 months ago

Dave

9.0

Solid Sonoma Cab that tastes like Left Bank Bordeaux. Supple feel, dark berries, cedar, graphite, tobacco. A little eucalyptus and a little espresso. Lengthy tannins. Drinkable now and will age for some time.
Listening to Radiohead — 8 months ago

George Yasutake

9.3

Dark purple nectar as I poured into my wine decanter. The wine did not disappoint. Drank wine over 4 hours over a Christmas Eve dinner. . — 8 months ago

with Michael

Nedas Ka

10

Ritch oily smoothness😉 — 7 years ago

Michael Lawrence

9.5

Absolutely lovely bottle for Sam’s birthday. Dark fruit, opened nicely, long finish. Restrained and refined classic Napa cab. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Top year 904 @ £75 that was drank in Zalto burg glass as its like an aged burgundy

🐽 Paired w/ Iberian Ham 😍

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick

👃 Smoked burnt oak, soggy earthy leaves, leather, dark cherry & figs w/ balsamic & damson

👄 Med body of creamy stewed cherry w/ earthy balsamic & slight mocha

🎯 Med finish of above w/ earthy balsamic linger

Reaching peak but I preferred the 95 904 over this but the 890 94 was better than the 95! — 9 years ago