The Auswine Forum

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wont buy any on release wait for supermarket specials

last 389 vintage bought 1998. possibly may consider 2004 if stunning on special
last 407 vintage bought 1998. doubt i will ever buy again.
last bin 28 vintage bought 2002. buy good vintages on special
last st henri vintage bought 2001. may buy again
last grange vintage bought 1996. doubt i will ever buy again too expensive

No harm in trying but a good vintage may not mean a good thing in the big vats.

St Henri, Bin 138, maybe Kalimna if it's a goodie.

Whilst I am sick of the sight of these wines, and their mass of red capsules massing in my cellar, there's no doubt the allure of a 2004 389 or three, at least, is tempting. It seems to be a wine that year after year I purchase at least one bottle of (some years several more) but not sure I love it as much as all that (although a lovely 1996 389 totally impressed me last year). The power of branding, I suppose...

As for the 407, I have decided it doesn't suit me nor me it, nor the 128 but I like the idea of a good 28 but I can't help but think this wine will never be what the 96 and 98s are now, so unless it's raved about by level headed folk and it checks out well enough, I suspect I won't bother.

Open minded about them and very much enjoyed a 98 Bin 128 recently. Bin407 is indeed cabernet with the soul ripped out though.

Bin 389 is quite often cheaper than the Bin 28 over here. Every now and then its AUD20 on sale, so at that price, I'll likely take a look...

Mike

Mike

That's a robust quaffer at $20! It must be very good QPR by world standards?

I bought a few 2002 389 to see how they turn out, before that it was very little since 1998 vintage. I'll only really be looking at 389 and 28, I gave up on 407 long ago, but bought a couple 96 as it was the best they have done with that generally un-impressive (to me) label.

There are a lot of excellent 2004 Cabernets coming out in the $20-$35 range, 389 will have to be pretty good to warrant it's mid-30's price.

Penfolds and Wynns each represent only 2% of my cellar these days.

I will buy 1 or 2 bottles of Grange this year all being well but 389 would have to be outstanding for me to buy as I will be spending on the Duval 05's more than likely around that time.

I bought 12 02 389s and 6 02 kalimnas. If I can get them on special, I'll probably do the same with the 04s providing they are OK in the tastings, which I suspect they will be.

I think I have a dozen 98 389 still sitting there untouched and I had about 2 and a half dozen 96 389 but I've been slowly getting in to some of these recently.

I've always found the 389 in good years very solid but the upwardly spiraling prices are a worry and a clear disincentive to buying. I've been buying less and less St Henri for this reason.

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Sean wrote:Thanks for the replies guys.

It looks like the Bin 389 is the one you are interested in, but it is getting exy (I have that thought every year, so maybe it isn't). The 02 was a ripper when I tasted it on release too. I wonder how it's travelling. (Is anyone game to open one and let us all know?) And one of a few great cabernet/shiraz blends when it's a good one, so it's hard to ignore.

I opened one a bit under a year ago. Too young. Leave for another couple of years at least, and then some I think.