A Friday night and drinks with my old man was in order; on the trip from work to my parent’s house, I stopped off at the local bottle shop and purchased a 2008 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna shiraz – I am glad of my choice. The shiraz exhibited classic Bin 28 fruits and maturation complexities, satsuma conserve and a very faint cigar box background, as per their tasting notes. You have to love the internet, I went online and downloaded from the Penfolds website the 2008 tasting notes.

Aromas of a basking Sunday roast and simmering Beef Bourgogne shadowed by tumeric and dark Calamatta olive were also described in the notes. Full-bodied and assertive – the shiraz was certainly that. It was also described as neither bullying with alcohol nor oak with dense layered texture and all bases covered with blueberry Barossa fruits exposed – I totally agree. The Bin 28 is a softer style wine, I like the Bin 28 as it is a smoother style, it doesn’t need to be drunk with food, it is a pretty decent sipper.