Is it just us, or is there something unappealing about slapping the term “bin” on a wine? It’s a bit like condemning it to the clearance section before the bottle is even open, but – especially in the new world – it’s actually just a way to describe the wine’s style.
Aussie winemaker Penfold’s is a master of the art, as exemplified by its Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz. Named after the (relatively) cool climate of this district in southern Australia, the shiraz juice is matured in French oak to give lovely structure and flavours of red-berry fruits (think raspberries and ripe plums), pepper and spice. Give it time to open up in the glass and serve with red meat. Better throw another steak on the barbie. £15 at Waitrose
