The Auswine Forum

Here in NZ, Foodtown supermarket have the current vintage Penfolds Bins (28, 128, 138, 407) at a very good price at the moment (about 35% off).

I've not tried all these, so which would you recommend? I'm thinking of getting 6 or 12 of the 28, but which would you recommend particularly? (I've already got some 407).

Thanks.

yeah, damn no 389 at $27 this time!!

i dont really like the 407, the 128 is ok havent tried the 28 yet but thats the one I usually go for

Try here:

http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=6298&highlight=2004+penfolds

Bin 28
GW

Bick wrote:Here in NZ, Foodtown supermarket have the current vintage Penfolds Bins (28, 128, 138, 407) at a very good price at the moment (about 35% off)

35% off what, a mythical RRP? I think the 35% off is just another marketing ploy to prompt people to buy. Tell everyone that Bin 28 has a $30RRP then give 35% off everywhere to make it a sub $20 wine. RRP is just a myth, the price is what the market will pay and for Bin 28 that's under $20 but does it deliver $20 worth of value, not in my opinion. Not sure how others feel but over recent years I've found that the Penfolds releases are full of hype but the wines are of little substance compared to the hype.

I've tried the complete range twice now and there was not a single wine that got me enthused until the RWT & Bin 707 level but by then I'm thinking top end Torbreck or Clonikilla etc are wines of more character at a lesser price.

I thought the 2004 Bin 128 was the most interesting and the best priced. Bin 138 and 407 are completely uninspiring and the Bin 28, well I can think of any number of sub $20 Shiraz that would make it look ordinary.

Sorry, but maybe look a little more widely at other similarlywines in the market before just going along with the Penfolds marketing plan and succumbing to their wares.

RRP is just a myth, the price is what the market will pay and for Bin 28 that's under $20 but does it deliver $20 worth of value, not in my opinion. Not sure how others feel but over recent years I've found that the Penfolds releases are full of hype but the wines are of little substance compared to the hype.

At $18 I think Bin 28 and 128 are not bad value. What else in that style is significantly better at a lesser price?? Saltrams Mamre occassionally hits $19 over here.....

Craig(NZ) wrote:

RRP is just a myth, the price is what the market will pay and for Bin 28 that's under $20 but does it deliver $20 worth of value, not in my opinion. Not sure how others feel but over recent years I've found that the Penfolds releases are full of hype but the wines are of little substance compared to the hype.

At $18 I think Bin 28 and 128 are not bad value. What else in that style is significantly better at a lesser price?? Saltrams Mamre occassionally hits $19 over here.....

If you can get it at $18 it's hard to find anything significantly better, although there's an awful lot of similar quality wines at that price (Saltram Mamre Brook, Schild Estate, Kilikanoon Kellerman's Run, Gemtree Uncut, etc.) These wines do however make Bin 28's RRP of $25+ look grossly overpriced, so I think GC's comment is on the money too.

Cheers,
Ian

Craig(NZ) wrote:At $18 I think Bin 28 and 128 are not bad value. What else in that style is significantly better at a lesser price?? Saltrams Mamre occasionally hits $19 over here.....

Where I shop Mamre Brook is perennially $18.99 and there are a whole heap of delicious Aussies around the $17.99 to $19.99 mark.
Most recent stunner is the Shingleback McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004 ($19.99). Really good stuff. Would definitely give any of the Pennies a run for the money.
How much are the Foodtown wines anyway? The Foodtown website has them listed at $29.95 (407, 28, 128) and $28.95 (138), which seems excessive for these wines anyway. Are you saying they are $18 now.

SueNZ wrote:How much are the Foodtown wines anyway? The Foodtown website has them listed at $29.95 (407, 28, 128) and $28.95 (138), which seems excessive for these wines anyway. Are you saying they are $18 now.

They were $18, if the website says they are back up then I guess they took them off sale price yesterday - can't have been on for long. $29.95 may seem steep, but it seems to be the going rate in NZ. Glangarry and others actually charge more than that for these wines... Whether that's good value is another matter, I guess.

Thanks for the various feedback.

Anything over $20 is too much for these wines.

I didn't find them very exciting and would rather buy any number of the under $20 wines mentioned by n4sir that I find are better drinks.

Agree with others comments that there is too much hype and not enough substance and artificially high "real prices" that allows heavy discounting to make them look like bargains. Just a marketing ploy, their "real price" is whatever the lowest discounted price is, heard $13 here in Aust at some stages/locations for the Bin 128!

Was at Woolworths at lunch and the bin 28,128,138 are still at 17.99 and the 407 is 23.99 has been that way for about ten days now. Brought the 138 as I have never had tryed it.
Not expecting to much going off others tasting notes, but thought I sould give it a crack at that Price.

Nick.

JONZIE wrote:Was at Woolworths at lunch and the bin 28,128,138 are still at 17.99 and the 407 is 23.99 has been that way for about ten days now. Brought the 138 as I have never had tryed it.
Not expecting to much going off others tasting notes, but thought I sould give it a crack at that Price.

Nick.

Don't diss the 138 before you try it. I quite like it. Not sure whose tasting notes you have read, obviously not mine. It's a terrifically juicy wine with intense blackberry fruit sraight off the vine.
Cheers,
Sue

Sue,
Tryed the 138 last night and really enjoyed it, Would agree with your Tasting notes, Got better with some breathing Nice black fruit and a smooth Finish.

Nick.