Australia

Cabernet Sauvignon

Penfolds

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia

South Australia

The first vintage of 707, now at 60 years old, from 100% monopole block 42, making this an extremely special, historic wine. Displaying a tender sweetness to the fruit, edges of charred oak, leather, campfire smoke, tawny brambled fruits, soft spices, fully tertiary on the palate, concentrated despite its age, and despite its balanced alcohol levels. Open fermenters for the winemaking, aged in neutral American oak rather than the new oak of later years, Max Schubert chief winemaker. The drink by date here is necessarily approximate, as it has more than proved its abilty to age.

Inside Bordeaux

The 2022 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Padthaway, and McLaren Vale. It was aged for 18 months in American oak, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with powerful scents of crushed blackcurrants, juicy blackberries, and mulberries, leading to an undercurrent of cedar, crushed rocks, and tapenade with a faint touch of camphor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is bright and shiny with a firm line of fine-grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing with great length.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Beautiful fragrance, this curls seductively out of the glass, still primary character to the fruit with its violet, peony and greengage plum aromatics. Violets carry through on the palate, along with blueberry, raspberry, sweet pureed cassis, vibrant and sculputed character, totally knockout. Great stuff, chiselled and ready to age, this is a great wine. Can't wait to taste it in the future. Unfined and unfiltered, just racking every few months during ageing, Peter Gago chief winemaker. More than 50% sourced from Coonawarra fruit.

Love the delicacy and concentration on display, concentrated black pepper and clove spice builds pretty quickly through the palate, again the campfire smoke, and push and pull of tannins and juicy black cherry and pomegranate freshness. Plenty of contrast and evolution happening in the glass, great quality although the floral character of Cabernet is less on display at this early stage, instead focusing on bay, fennel, anis and cassis. McLaren Vale dominant fruit for sourcing. 100% new American oak. Unfined and unfiltered, just racking every few months during ageing, Peter Gago chief winemaker.

Spicy dried garrigue herbs, no hint of drying tannins and yet plenty of them layering up as the wine moves through the glass. Campfire smoke, dried rose petals, incense, clear chocolate and espresso, crème de cassis, cold cocoa. A seriously young wine at this point. McLaren Vale dominant. 100% new American oak for ageing.

Muscular, concentrated, powering ahead with momentum and energy, deep rich damson plum in colour. Concentrated and intense, crackling campfire, cigar box, roasted coffee bean, aniseed, fennel, turmeric, black pepper, liqourice, powerful, with the relief offered (and needed) of mandarin, orange peel, slate, crayon, mint, great quality, hard to argue with. 100% new American oak for ageing, Peter Gago chief winemaker.

Inky plum, the colours are pretty consistent between vintages at this point, even if there is plenty of difference in the Cabernet expression. Choco-mint on the opening beats, so much freshness, and extremely silky in its architecture, striking in its translation of Cabernet tannins into something supple even while being concentrated and confident. This is exceptional quality, again with decades ahead of it. 100% new American oak, Peter Gago winemaker.

Firm tannins are very much in evidence, with grilled cassis fruits and liqourice notes that we associate with great Australian Cabernet, but with less nuance at this stage than will appear with a decade or so in bottle. There is capsicum, red pepper, fennel and cracked cumin underneath, everything coiled and reserved right now. This stage of the vertical, with the wines around the ten year mark, shows how so much Australian Cabernet is drunk too young. 100% new American oak for ageing.

Just a notch below the 2012 for me, fruit darker, less generous, more mint and leafy Cabernet style, it's great quality but the architectural frame is more angular. Cocoa bean, espresso, eucalpytus and garrigue, this has a blast of fresh mint on the finish and will soften further over next few years. 100% new American oak for ageing.

Distinct floral character in this vintage, violet and peony, fragrant fennel, cola, cocoa, eucalpytus, garrigue. High Coonawarra component in the grape sourcing. Smooth tannins, still young and not quite ready yet smooth and supple, a signature of the 707 that reflects how quickly the wine is taken off the grape skins after fermentation - a winemaking technique that becomes much clearer in the young wines, when Cabernet tannins can typically be tight or angular. 100% new American oak for ageing.

A storming, stunning example of Australian Cabernet. Precise, lifted, sculputed, finessed with a slab of concentrated cassis alongside cola and liqourice root. A baby no question, ideally this gets put it away for a few decades, but it will reward your patience - and there's plenty of love even if approaching sooner. Unfined and unfiltered, just racking every few months during ageing. 100% new American oak, Peter Gago chief winemaker.

Silky smooth tannins and the intense distilled cassis of a great Australian Cabernet, coupled with juicy pomegranate, mandarin peel, cigar box, liqourice, crayon, eucalyptus. Savoury and salivating. Barossa dominant fruit for sourcing. Last tasted in Singapore around two years ago. I loved it then, and it's tasting even better now, one point upscore. 100% new American oak for ageing, Peter Gago chief winemaker.

A hit of cola on the opening beats, with marked salinity that heads over towards oyster shell, tannins are layering up pretty quickly, less generous than some, plenty of Cabernet character, concentrated black fruits, an edge of raspberry leaf, this is fresh and mouthwatering. Dominant Padthaway fruit sourcing. 100% new American oak.

Stunningly vibrant and reflective inky plum colour, vibrant and elegant, with fennel and coriander seeds on the nose, cocoa bean, espresso, sweet blackberry, tannins a lttle angular at this point, needs time to fully stretch out, but great freshness running from start to finish, we are in choco-mint territory, balanced, classic, concentrated, coiled, a great wine. 100% new American oak.

This is gorgeous, richly textured, a ton of dark chocolate, fennel, beautiful grip and lift, just storming out of the glass with energy and momentum, cassis and bilberry fruit, great classical Cabernet character with an extra zip in its step. Decades ahead of it but this is enjoyable to drink now, tannins have a chewy bite on the finish, these are muscular and ripe, great stuff. Wrattonbully part of the source vineyards for the first time here. 100% new American oak, Peter Gago chief winemaker.

Generous, with charred sandalwood aromatics, just a little dominant over the black cherry and damson fruit at this point. Earth and clove spice follow up, taking away from the pure Cabernet signature that is typical of this bottling, making it an outlier in the vertical. Perhaps bottle variation, as this is a well regarded vintage. 100% new American oak.

A blast of mint leaf straight from the first nose, inky ruby in colour, richly textured, clear layering of cloves, truffles, dried herbs, mocha, orange peel, mandarin, ecualyptus, blackcurrant and black cherry fruit. This is fairly closed and muscular even at 22 years old, not giving a huge amount away yet, a testament to how slowly and impressively the 707 ages. Everything in place, but inching forward. 100% new American oak.

Campfire smoke, grilled in character, subdued, reserved, everything coiled inside, delicious balance with a little coaxing, and the striking thing here is the texture. A thoroughly charming wine, still young at 23 years, emphasis on dark brambled fruit, cassis, liqourice, soft crayon, not the most exuberant of the wines here, but it is one that you can sink into. 100% new American oak. Last year with John Duval as chief winemaker, before handing over to Peter Gago, who had been in the winemaking team since 1989.

Inky plum colour, chocolate, deep blackberry, very much brambled fruit, edges of black chocolate, savoury and vibrant, a ton of clove and grilled rosemary spice, with campfire, turmeric. Tight and muscular, the tannins need to resolve, and this is less pristine than some, but has balance and you can feel confident that there is a storming wine here that will suit long ageing. 69% Coonawarra fruit. 100% new American oak, John Duval chief winemaker.

Crushed rose petals and peony on the nose, love the floral character here, maybe get a faint blush of heat which I haven't had on any of the other wines so far but again this low hum of energy and momentum through the palate, with pomegranate and mandarin peel alongside the more classic cassis and blackberry fruits, liqourice root. So much crackle to it, good intensity through the palate, the tannins feel resolved and elongated, and they are building up through the palate without being drying. Great quality. Feels at that beautiful tipping point between young and old, back to the choco mint blast. 40% Coonawarra fruit, 100% new American oak.

Charred oak notes, campfire smoke, rosebud, a little angular at first, striking how young this feels at 28 years old, tannins not yet fully resolved although heading towards long limbed. There is precision here, and a lovely shot of mint freshness giving a cushioning lift through the finish, along with recurrant, blackberry and cassis fruits, and a swirl of espresso and cigar box. Grows and unfurls in the glass, with a low hum of energy, has a long life ahead. 100% new American oak.

Earthy on the nose, deep ruby colour, mushroom, bitter chocolate, espresso, chalky tannins, eucalyptus and mint. Stately, almost Bordeaux-style Cabernet with its leafy character and graphite edge. Double decanted just before serving, this has life ahead of it as it hits the 30 year mark. 100% new American oak, John Duval chief winemaker.

Significantly deeper in colour than the earliest wines of the vertical, although still more than 30 years old, this jumps out of the glass on the aromatics, generous and enticing, sandalwood, campfire, pureed cassis fruit, with blackcurrant pastille that shows the intensity and pristine character of fruit that I just love out of Australian Cabernet. Waves of crushed mint leaf, rose petals, plenty of tannic grip, maybe a little austere, years ahead of it. Double decanted just before serving. 100% new American oak, John Duval chief winemaker.

Plum colour, deepening from the earlier years, and holding its colour integrity from core to the outer rim. Cocoa bean, liqourice, mint leaf, eucalyptus, slate, this feels balanced and on signature of 707 Cabernet, tannins are smooth and pristine but starting to layer up, a litle awkward through the finish, muscular even at 34 years old age, grilled and charred. Double decanted just before serving. 100% new American oak, John Duval chief winemaker.

Rich ruby in colour, deliciously well worked tannins, showing the finesse of a mature Cabernet but retaining character and energy. Expect touches of cigar box, tobacco leaf, supple texture to the tannins, concetrated cassis character, good quality, ready to drink with plenty of balance, smoked earth through the finish. 100% new American oak.

Colour heading to a deep rose-ruby, but on the aromatics this 1987 is less pristine than the others so far, showing undergrowth and mushroom, tobacco leaf, cold ash, soot, bilberry fruit, plenty of leafy Cabernet signature, with spice, similar to the 1966 in character, suggest drinking soon. Predominant Kalimna sourcing (Barossa). 100% new American oak, in hogshead barrels. Second year with John Duval as chief winemaker.

Mushroom, truffle, blackberry, chocolate, cocoa bean, liqourice root, the choco-mint double act, tannins are finely shaped and elongated but starting to layer up a little more clearly than in the earlier wines, still with a soft cushion of fresh acidities underneath. Love the intensity and generosity, and this Australian interpretation of Cabernet that shows its more exuberant side that is so often hidden under Bordeaux reserve on this side of the world. Just getting going, this has excellent persistency on the palate, and is a gorgeous wine. Coonawarra dominant for the source fruit, 100% new American oak for ageing, John Duval appointed chief winemaker. Double decant before serving.

Love the pristine quality of the colour here even at 46 years old, dusky rose but with vibrancy and clarity. Shows the warmth and generosity of a mature, well ripened Australian Cabernet is on display, and this feels far away from a Bordeaux Cabernet, in the best sense. Expect mint leaf that strays closer to eucalyptus, the tannins are just so fine and melted, fruit on the damson and red cherry spectrum, very much intact, with a soft glide to the finish. A lovely mouthwatering wine. 100% new American oak. In the discussion after tasting, this was describe as heroic Cabernet, and although I can't claim the phrase, I endorse it! 100% new American oak, hogshead barrels, Don Ditter chief winemaker. Coonawarra dominant fruit in this vintage, along with Barossa.

The first of the renewed 707, after a pause of six years (last vintage had been 1969, after difficulties sourcing enough quality Cabernet). Colour just a step deeper than the two earlier wines. This has plenty of mature Cabernet character, delicate and finessed, crayon, a litle subdued although with clear mint leaf, sliding into black truffle and incense as it opens. Tannins are melted into the structure, caressing and thoroughly charming. Barossa predominant sourcing. We had two bottles of this, and needed the second one to find the magic, so be careful of variation. 100% new American oak, Don Ditter chief winemaker, appointed in 1975 to take over from Max Schubert.

Tawny rose in colour, consistent with the 1966, but the aromatics here are a little more evolved, showing undergrowth, soot, cold ash, raspberry leaf, turmeric spice. Retains an intensity of flavour through its core, although less charm than the 1964. At this point, the wine would have been open fermented and matured in neutral American oak barrels, rather than the new oak of today. Max Schubert chief winemaker.

2022	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2021	€ 4 390.90Available	Extraordinary
2019	€ 3 089.70Not available	Extraordinary
2018	€ 2 600.30Not available	Extraordinary
2016	€ 2 400.20Not available	Extraordinary

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Penfolds
Vintages	1964
Country	Australia, South Australia
Bottle	75 cl

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