2021 Penfolds, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia
Critics reviews
The 2021 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from Coonawarra (55%), Barossa Valley (32%), and Wrattonbully (13%), and it was aged for 16 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. It has a deep garnet-purple color and the nose opens with profound scents of crème de cassis, juicy blackberries, and warm, ripe plums, followed by hints of dried mint, dark chocolate, cedar, sassafras, and vanilla pod. Full-bodied, the palate is surprisingly graceful, bright, refreshing, and refined, with bags of energetic fruit and a very long, spicy finish.
Drink 2026 - 2050
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (August 2023)
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 hails from Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Wrattonbully and is matured for 16 months in American oak hogsheads (100% new).
On the nose, the wine is aromatically reticent, but in the mouth, the tannins (then fruit) hit with full force. This is a powerful wine that, to be honest, I find little joy in on release. The firm caveat I would assert at this stage is that old Bin 707—we are talking 20 or 30 years old—is a graceful, powerful, exciting wine.
And 2021 was a gorgeous vintage: long, cool and even in the growing season, so the wines produced in this year (from South Australia particularly) are elegant and composed. The fruit here speaks of its vintage origins; however, the oak remains a big part of the story at this early stage. The "plus" part of the score is a very loud indicator of its future potential. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
Drink now to 2053
Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate (July 2023)
From vineyards in Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Wrattonbully. Spring temperatures were generally warmer than average (resulting in healthy, and notably larger, vine canopies than previous years) and summer temperatures were near long-term average. Aged for 16 months in American oak hogsheads (100% new). TA 6.6 g/l, pH 3.65. There was no 2020, to the benefit of various other ‘lesser’ blends.
Blackish purple. Rich, satisfying nose. Sweet and soft. Very definitely a South Australian Cabernet, a hemisphere away from Bordeaux, but it works. Complete and flattering without too much dryness on the end. Although the official notes suggest that the drinking window for this wine starts in 2026, I think it’s readier to enjoy than many thanks to the ripeness of the tannins. But I’m sure it will go on and on.
Drink 2024 - 2044
Jancis Robinsonm MW, JancisRobinson.com (July 2023)
This is a very fine 707. Often a bit of a yeoman, this is more sophisticated than I recall. Gun barrel tannins with the glint of steely intent. Like a slick of alloyed ball bearings, rolling across the generously weighted palate while delivering iodine, bouquet garni, a swab of tapenade and cassis in all the right places. Rich and powerful, yet detailed and savory all at once. The juiciness of the fruit effortlessly transcends the slathering of oak, predicting a very bright future. A wonderful wine in the making.
Best after 2027
Ned Goodwin MW, Senior Editor at JamesSuckling.com (July 2023)
About this WINE
Penfolds
Penfolds enjoys an iconic status that few New World producers have achieved. Established in 1844 at the Magill Estate near Adelaide, it laid the foundation for fine wine production in Australia.
The winemaking team is led by the masterful Peter Gago; it has the herculean task of blending the best wines from a multitude of different plots, vineyards and regions to create a consistent and outstanding range of wines. Its flagship wine, Grange, is firmly established as one of the finest red wines in the world.
Under Gago’s stewardship, the Penfolds range has evolved over time. Winemaking has moved away from New World heat and the sort of larger-than-life style that can mask individuality; the contemporary wines instead favour fine balance and typicity for the region or grape.
South Australia
At 72,000 hectares, South Australia is the engine room of the country's wine industry, responsible for 43 percent of its vineyards and encompassing some of Australia’s most famous fine wine regions.
One of the most important areas in qualitative terms is the Barossa Valley, beginning 50km north-east of Adelaide, and famous for its full-bodied Shiraz, as well as for its Grenache and Mourvèdre. To the east, the cool Eden Valley is home to some really fine Riesling and top-class Shiraz, such as that made by Henschke. To the north of Barossa is the Clare Valley, also a source of good Riesling but home to well-structured reds as well.
South-east of Adelaide lies the delightful vineyard area of the Adelaide Hills, where fine Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir are produced by wineries such as Petaluma and Llangibby Estate. Langhorne Creek to the east of Adelaide has earned a reputation for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Verdelho and Shiraz while, between Adelaide and the sea, McLaren Vale is a noted area for red wines.
The unique vineyard region of Coonawarra lies 400km south-east in an area of pure limestone topped by a loose, red topsoil. Cool enough to resemble Bordeaux, this area produces great Cabernets and Merlots and is much in demand. Slightly to the north and to the west lie the regions of Padthaway and Mount Benson respectively, which enjoy similar success as sources of great white wines, especially Chardonnay. Wrattonbully however is known for its fresh, varietally-pure Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
However it’s the less-distinguished Riverland region that accounts for 50 percent of the state’s wine production.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, although it performs particularly well on well-drained, low-fertile soils. It has small, dusty, black-blue berries with thick skins that produce deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with notable tannins. Its spiritual home is the Médoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux where it thrives on the well-drained gravel-rich soils producing tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedarwood and cigar box nuances when fully mature.
The grape is widely planted in California where Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are distinguished by their rich mixture of cassis, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla oak. It is planted across Australia and with particular success in Coonawarra where it is suited to the famed Terra Rossa soil. In Italy barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component in Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, either on its own or as part of a blend with Sangiovese.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
Power, precision and finesse define this wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon which is why it’s one of the flagbearers for Penfolds. Only produced in vintages where the quality is befitting of Bin 707, this is always a wine I wait for with baited breathe. The 2021 has once again excelled with classic blackcurrant and a full bodied tannic structure that is synonymous with Penfolds’ iconic reds.
It must be said that the 2021 Bin 707 is still in it’s relative infancy and the refined aromatics will develop over the decades. This is in accordance with the vision that was initially established for the Bin 707 in it’s inaugural release in 1964. The 2021 continues this fine tradition and definitely merits the long term hold.
Drink 2030 - 2060
Markus Ljunghammar, Private Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee