Penfolds

Penfolds was established in 1844 in South Australia — one of the world’s most iconic wine estates, producing the legendary Grange Shiraz, the Bin series (Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz, Bin 407 Cabernet, Bin 28 Shiraz), RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz, and the entry-level Max’s range. Vineyards span Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Eden Valley, with recent cross-continental collaborations in California and Napa Valley.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Penfolds Grange and why is it significant?

Grange is Penfolds’ flagship wine and Australia’s most celebrated red — first produced by Max Schubert in 1951 as an experiment to create an Australian wine capable of aging for decades like great Bordeaux. Grange is a Shiraz-dominant blend (occasionally with small Cabernet Sauvignon additions) sourced from multiple South Australian regions rather than a single vineyard, which gives the winemaker the flexibility to select the best parcels each vintage. It is aged in new American oak hogsheads for 18 months before bottling. Grange is produced every year regardless of vintage conditions, with Schubert’s original philosophy that blending across regions and vineyards can produce consistency that single-site wines cannot guarantee. It is the only non-European wine listed as a heritage item in Australia and regularly appears on lists of the world’s greatest wines.

What is the difference between the Penfolds Bin series expressions?

The Bin series represents Penfolds’ regional and variety-focused tier below Grange. Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz is the most well-known — informally called “baby Grange” because it is aged in the same American oak hogsheads used for Grange in the previous vintage, inheriting residual character from the flagship wine. Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon is the Cabernet-dominant expression, leaning more toward structure and dark fruit than the Shiraz-influenced 389. Bin 28 Shiraz (Kalimna) is the Barossa-focused Shiraz expression — fuller-bodied and more immediately generous than the blended Grange. Each Bin number has historical significance: the numbers originally referred to specific winery bins where the wines were stored during development.