2022 Penfolds, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia
Critics reviews
Bright, vibrant floral rose petal aromatics that lean into the primary fruit, black cherry and raspberry, with supple tannins that are young and muscular but giving plenty of space and light to the fruit. 100% new American oak, Peter Gago chief winemaker. Bottled in November 2023. Tasted during the September Releases, and also in Paris back in January.
Drink 2026 - 2048
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (February 2024)
Full bottle 1,523 g. From Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Padthaway and McLaren Vale and aged in 100% new American oak. Very Penfolds! Launched with the 1964 vintage but not made from 1970 to 1975 (when fruit was directed to other wines) nor in 1981, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2011, 2017 or 2020 (when fruit of the required style and quality was not available). ‘Unashamedly 100% Cabernet, 100% new oak, 100% Penfolds’, they say.
Glowing dark purple. Intensely aromatic. Smooth, ripe-tannined cassis liqueur. Limpid. Long. With marked spicy sweetness before those tannins come galloping in. Definitely for the long haul.
Drink 2030 - 2050
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (June 2024)
I recently tasted through a vertical of Bin 707, back to the very first vintage made in 1964. I have had some older vintages of this cuvée in the past, and once the 1964 vintage, but never a full suite. It was immediately obvious that the American oak élevage works very well in the cuvée over time, and it has the capacity to be an incredibly elegant wine. I did note that the alcohols have slowly risen over time, from as low as 12% alcohol from the 1960s, through to 13.5% in the late 1990s. As we progress through the 2000s, the wine sits at around 14% to 15% alcohol. This does make me wonder about the longevity of the wine over time, as those older wines were just so lovely in their delicacy and claret feel. So, to this 2022 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon. It is more structural, firm and restrained than the 2021 before it, and while the oak is pronounced and firm, the wine expounds symmetry, proportion and length. Don't drink it for a while though, unless the oak is the aspect you seek. It matured for 18 months in American oak (100% new).
Drink 2027 - 2047
Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate (July 2024)
Rather seductive aromas of cedar and bark with blackberries, blackcurrants, light milk chocolate and stone. Full-bodied, very round and polished. Tight, focused tannins at the end. Ink and baking spices. Finished fermentation in American oak and aged 18 months.
Drink 2027+
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (August 2024)
With its rich swirl of blackberry and black olive, this flagship Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from multiple regions (Coonawarra, Barossa, Padthaway, McLaren Vale) provides lots of savoury pleasure in the mid-palate, but little of the elevated pretty aromas that defined the outstanding 2021 vintage. There’s plenty of drive and persistence through a long palate, finishing politely with fine-grained, elegantly groomed tannins.
Drink 2026 - 2050
David Sly, Decanter (July 2024)
This benchmark vintage for Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon in 2022 carries both raw power and impressive vibrancy. It ripples with persuasive aromas of blackberry and blackcurrant topped by grated chocolate-mint and a strong oak component. Super power on display in a dense and full-flavored package marked by quite serious tannins that draw out an enormous, immovable finish. A serious wine in every way.
Drink 2030 - 2048
Angus Hughson, Vinous.com (July 2024)
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.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
100% Barossa Shiraz, this is notable for in intensity on the nose, incredibly concentrated and vibrant throughout, there is a distinct bramble quality to the profile here, lavender and iron. This feels opulent and robust while maintain a grip on the evident power. This is a tactile beast of a wine. The palate gives way to more of that bramble fruit and peppery, herbal qualities intertwined with a pungent iron core. Tannins are fine grained and sleek. This is a powerful wine that will almost certainly have a long life ahead of it.
Luke Dowdy, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2024)
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