Penfolds Bin 180 Cabernet Shiraz 2021
Style: Red Wine
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (57%), Shiraz (43%)
Closure: Cork
Penfolds Bin 180 Cabernet Shiraz 2021
Camberwell
Burke Road
Camberwell VIC 3124
Australia
Producer: Penfolds
Country: Australia
Region: Coonawarra
Vintage: 2021
Critic Score: 99
Alcohol: 14.5%
Size: 750 ml
Drink by: 2060
Nick Ryan Top 100 Wines of 2024
The 2021 Penfolds Bin 180 Cabernet Shiraz is a special release commemorating Penfolds' 180th Anniversary. They have chosen a Cabernet Shiraz (the definitive Australian red blend) sourced from Coonawarra in the epic 2021 vintage. The split is 57% Cabernet and 43% Shiraz. The Cabernet comes off Block 10, which supplies fruit to Bins 707 and 169, and the Shiraz off Block 5. The wine spent 16 months in one-year-old French oak hogsheads. It will surely take its place among the great special releases from Penfolds.
"There must have been a strong compulsion for Penfolds to create a bold and bombastic blend to commemorate its 180th anniversary, and I love that it chose a very different and compelling path, highlighting not the grandeur of the warmer regions of South Australia in new American oak but the definition and tension of Coonawarra in the epic and cool 2021 season, sensitively framed in seasoned French oak. The definitive Australian blend has been recreated here with classic, fine-boned precision, singing with all the lifted brightness of this cool, traditional season. The crunchy redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit of cabernet sauvignon is perfectly integrated with the blackberries of shiraz. Fine-grained, limestone-mineral tannins like only Coonawarra can conjure are perfectly harmonised with the structural support of French oak. The result is one of the finest wines of the modern era of Penfolds and the epitome and exemplar that less is indeed oh so very much more." Tyson Stelzer
"Our goal was to craft a landmark wine to acknowledge Penfolds 180th Anniversary… Compellingly – the lure of outstanding parcels in barrel availed from the stellar 2021 Coonawarra harvest. Fatefully – testament to a pre-ordained and magical Australian varietal union – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Resultingly – Penfolds 2021 Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz.
Enlivened deep purple-red, with an impenetrable core. The nose is at once Coonawarra. At once Penfolds. Perhaps not as instantly recognizable as a Cabernet-Shiraz blend. A beguiling otherness, verging on the exotic. As the cork is extracted an immediate pastrami 'meatiness' is propelled – piquantly laced with (sauerkraut) V.A. and Middle Eastern spices. A pour and swirl reveal an ironstone/carbon black/soot disposition that rationally transitions to more understandable 'Coonawarra red dirt' markers. And then, once rested, welcoming wafts of berried summer-pudding delights elude an amalgam of blueberry/blackberry. The palate is regal. Yet, without contradiction still youthful/bright/vivacious. A mirror-image of nose – an honest cross-over. Chewy tannins wrap around oak/acidity/extract inducing a substantial, velvety mouthfeel. Indeed, one that is sensitively indulged by its conveyance in 100% 1-y.o. oak. All the right ingredients for longevity, replete with a 'solid core' – a generous/bountiful mid-palate. No rough edges, a continuum of just so many flavours that linger and 'thicken up' in glass. Demands time and patience. Early days. Yet again, not quite Cabernet, not quite Shiraz. Turbo-charged Coonawarra. Special." Penfolds
Expert Reviews
"An entirely fitting wine with which to celebrate Penfolds’ 180th anniversary. As well as standard bottles, 180 magnums and 8 Jeroboams are being released. Penfolds has made a wine reflecting the great Aussie red blend, sourced from Coonawarra from a truly great year in 2021. The split is 57% Cabernet and 43% Shiraz. The Cabernet is from its Block 10 and the Shiraz from Block 5. The vineyards providing the Cabernet consistently supply fruit to Bins 707 and 169. The wine spent 16 months in one-year-old French oak hogsheads. Anyone who finds themselves not completely convinced by the latest Grange should turn their attention to this wine. It will surely take its place among the great special releases from Penfolds.
A near-opaque purple-maroon. The nose is already providing noticeable complexity, with notes of black fruits, bergamot, licorice, cold tea, smoked meats, blueberries, and chocolate. Hints of tobacco leaves and mocha emerge with time in the glass. A sumptuous wine, deeply extracted but with such immaculate balance. Bright acidity, silky tannins, an alluring and persistent finish. This is a complete wine. A one-off release, which will provide immense pleasure for the next three decades." Ken Gargett, The World of Fine Wine - 99 points
"There must have been a strong compulsion for Penfolds to create a bold and bombastic blend to commemorate its 180th anniversary, and I love that it chose a very different and compelling path, highlighting not the grandeur of the warmer regions of South Australia in new American oak but the definition and tension of Coonawarra in the epic and cool 2021 season, sensitively framed in seasoned French oak. The definitive Australian blend has been recreated here with classic, fine-boned precision, singing with all the lifted brightness of this cool, traditional season. The crunchy redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit of cabernet sauvignon is perfectly integrated with the blackberries of shiraz. Fine-grained, limestone-mineral tannins like only Coonawarra can conjure are perfectly harmonised with the structural support of French oak. The result is one of the finest wines of the modern era of Penfolds and the epitome and exemplar that less is indeed oh so very much more." Tyson Stelzer - 99 points
"Very deep, dense purple-red colour; the bouquet wonderfully clear, deep cassis cabernet, bell-clear and unencumbered by new oak. Traces of nutmeg and violet, lavender and rose. Extreme intensity of flavour, the concentration is other-worldly. A great wine! (57% cabernet, 43% shiraz, from Penfolds vineyard blocks 10 & 5. 16 months in French oak hogsheads, all one year old and none new). Drink 2028-2051." Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 99 points
"A special limited production cuvée to mark the 180th anniversary of Penfolds. Aromatically, this is immediately hyper-fresh, lifted and aerial. A wine of today but also timeless in its elegance and, indeed, its ageability. It is fascinating, in a way, that this is the wine chosen to mark Penfolds’ 180th anniversary. For that freshness, lift and elegance is very much the direction of travel here now and this wine is the sublimation of that – a statement of intent. Cassis, plum stone, damson, cherry and maybe a hint of cherry preserve. Black pen ink and a hint of dark florality, with just a touch of the finest spice and assorted freshly crushed peppercorns. There’s no new oak here, which is also something of a statement and entirely the right choice I feel, bringing as it does an additional precision, clarity and dynamism to the wine. On the palate this is soft, svelte, rich but agile, tense and very tightly structured by the miraculously fine-grained but considerable Cabernet Sauvignon tannins. The fruit profile, too, is very Cabernet-dominated, with the Shiraz bringing additional substance between the structural parameters set by the Cabernet tannins and a gentle sweet spice. Impressively limpid, lithe and crystalline in and through the mid-palate despite the disguised power, depth and concentration. And juicy, fresh and long on the finish. Accessible yet ageless." Colin Hay, The Drinks Business - 98+ points
"A towering achievement to mark Penfolds' 180th birthday. It's Coonawarra writ large, and a worthy addition to the great tradition of Pent olds Special Bins. Deftly polished, fine and fragrant. If kid leather could be liquified it would flow like this. Finely etched, blue fruits and flowers, a gentle sprinkling of spice. Tannins so demure you'd swear they'd been to Swiss finishing school. Simply spectacular." Nick Ryan, The Weekend Australian - 98 points and Top 100 Wines of 2024
"This is a commemorative release wine that marks the 180th anniversary of the birth of Penfolds. Effectively a special bin wine similar to the Bin 620 in 1966 and the Bin 920. It’s 57 % cabernet and the remainder shiraz and looking at French oak only. All the oak is one year old to suit the weight and the style of the fruit. It’s about poise and character. The cabernet comes off Block 10 and the shiraz Block 5 which are both historically connected Penfolds vineyards. Fine and elegant and stylish with tremendous power and drive through the middle palate. Has a chalky character to it. More restrained than typical Penfolds. Floral notes are evident. A fitting tribute to the brand. Cellar: 45 years." Ray Jordan, Ray Jordan Wines – 98 points
"This wine did not see any new oak, glory be. It was though matured in 100% one-year-old oak (i.e. essentially new, but just old enough to make a positive difference). Minty, long and lingering, bold-fruited but elegant, strung suitably with tannin, the styling classic, the quality likewise. This is an exquisite red wine. Red, blue and black berried fruits run in a constant, irrepressible stream, picking up tannin and momentum as they run, without slowing, through to a finish that is so long, it has a beauty of its own. Call it a commemorative release, or a special bin, the nomenclature doesn’t matter. This is a Coonawarra cabernet-shiraz blend of the highest quality. It doesn’t just express the region; it understands it. They haven’t just made a wine here; they’ve made history. Drink 2030-2050+." Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 97 points
"The 2021 Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz comprises 57% Cabernet Sauvignon from Penfolds Block 10 and 43% Shiraz from Block 5, planted in the 1960s, and both components matured in one-year-old French oak. The wine is powerful, concentrated and tannic but lighter in frame than many of the other premium Penfolds reds, sitting on the plump end of the middle weight register. If it was a middleweight boxer, it would be pushing heavyweight, but just scraping through the weigh-in. Far from being chunky, as my description may indicate, this is fine and pliable, complex and succulent; the tannins dovetail neatly through the finish and hold the fruit over the course of the closing act. This is very impressive, elegant, excellent. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink 2024-2051." Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate - 97 points
"57/43% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz from Block 10 and Block 5 respectively. This Bin 180, from the outstanding 2021 Coonawarra vintage, is a commemorative release to celebrate Penfolds' 180th anniversary. It is a wine that evokes memories of previous releases such as the Bin 7, Bin 920 and Bin 620. There is an undisputed pedigree here and it shows with the classic Penfolds leitmotif of fruit density, balance and elegance writ large. Beautifully composed with a pitch perfect presence on the palate. Pure dark and blackberry fruits, sheathed in spice, cedar, licorice, dark chocolate, panforte, olive tapenade, wild herbs, violets and earth. Poised and detailed with a real sense of grace to its flow across the palate, fine, al dente tannins and a sleek, streamlined travel. It's an impressive, harmonious release befitting such a milestone and one that will be enjoyed for decades to come. Tremendous stuff. Drink by 2054." Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion - 96 points
Awards
Nick Ryan Top 100 Wines of 2024
Peter Gago
The following text is taken from an article by Ken Gargett in Quill & Pad, https://quillandpad.com
Peter Gago has what many people in the wine world think is the best job on the planet. He is chief winemaker for Penfolds, based in South Australia and one of Australia’s oldest wine producers.
Max Schubert created Grange with the experimental first wine, the 1951, after he returned from Bordeaux and wanted to establish an Aussie First Growth. The story of Grange has been told many times, and as fascinating as it is I won’t rehash it again. Schubert ruled at Penfolds right through to the 1976 vintage, when he handed the reins to Don Ditter. Ditter made the wines right through to the 1986 vintage when John Duval stepped up. Duval was chief winemaker until the 2002 vintage, when he left to do his own thing, very successfully.
Since that time, Peter Gago has been the chief winemaker. It should be noted that although the role of chief winemaker at Penfolds will always be inextricably linked with Grange, there are a great many other wines in the portfolio for which this position assumes ultimate responsibility.
Alongside the winemaking, in which he is still heavily involved, a usual week in non-Covid times sees Gago flying around the world to tastings, dinners, events, festivals, and promotions. I suspect that only David Attenborough (outside of pilots and crew) has racked up more flying miles. I remember seeing him one day when he seemed even more pleased with the world than usual. Turns out he’d just run into his wife, Gail, now retired but a long-term and highly regarded member of the South Australian parliament, at the airport. Gago had not been aware that they would both be in the same country that week, let alone cross paths, such is his usual peripatetic lifestyle.
Gago has friends and admirers all around the globe, from the rich and famous to young, aspiring wine lovers, and will spend time talking to them all. I suspect that if he wanted to start dropping names, the din would reverberate for days, but you could not find a humbler man. Gago is a serious music buff and you’d be amazed at the number of rock stars who revere him, much in the way their fans might do for them (for instance, after crawling over broken glass to get a ticket to a Bruce Springsteen concert I saw Gago sitting in prime seats with Springsteen’s family, after which they went for dinner and knocked off a few bottles of Grange).
Gago is probably as close to a rock star himself in the world of wine, although perhaps more modest rather than flamboyant. And I have no idea if he can sing.
The thing that most amazes me with Gago is that every time you talk to him, he is bubbling with genuine enthusiasm, not just for Grange but for all his wines. He just loves what he is doing. One gets the feeling that every morning he wakes up and pinches himself to make sure it is real.
Among his many attributes, Gago has the gift of the gab like few others. Only once have I ever seen him lost for words and caught off guard. Many years ago, at the annual release – held in a very fancy location near the shores of Sydney Harbor; it is always a fancy location somewhere and also always includes great champagne to kick off the day as Gago is fanatical about the world’s best bubbles – the then current chairman or CEO of whichever corporate entity was then the owner of Penfolds attended the day. Forgive me for my failure to remember just where the corporate snakes and ladders left Penfolds that day and for failing to remember the relevant gentleman’s name. He had only been appointed as a temporary executive while the search for a more permanent one was ongoing, but unlike any of the CEOs before and after, this man had a genuine interest and came to a couple of tastings to learn.
Anyway, as we sipped our champagne on the lawns overlooking Sydney Harbor and chatted, our friend suddenly posed a question to Gago. He had been meaning to ask, he said, just how much Grange the company made. There were five or six writers in this little group and suddenly, every single one of us had pad and pen poised. The production of Grange is a national secret that is not to be disclosed under pain of death (general consensus puts it at, depending on the vintage, between 5,000 and 15,000 cases, with most releases in the mid range, but this is pure speculation).
Gago was at a loss. The boss of bosses had just asked him a direct question and Gago is far too polite not to answer but knew he couldn’t give that information out in public. He managed a fair bit of mumbling and generalizations and I think he suggested they meet later. Pads and pens all went back into bags, and we could not help grinning while Gago looked like he’d just swallowed a bad oyster.
Gago was born in England in 1957, but his family moved to Melbourne when he was only six years of age. Originally a math teacher (teaching is still a passion), he undertook a science degree at the University of Melbourne and then attended Roseworthy College, a famous Australian winemaking college, graduating as Dux (the highest ranking academic performance -ed), which will surprise no one.
In 1989 he joined Penfolds as a sparkling winemaker, working with Ed Carr, who has established a career in sparkling wine (now with Arras) as successful as Gago’s is with table wines. He moved to reds and quickly rose through the ranks until succeeding Duval in 2002. In the 73 years since Schubert was first appointed, Gago is only the fourth chief winemaker.
During his tenure, he has stacked up an extraordinary array of bling, as has Penfolds under his stewardship (Gago heads a team of eight winemakers for table wines and a couple more for fortifieds). He has several “Winemaker of the Year” awards from different entities and publications, both from Australia and abroad, but the accolades go well beyond that.
In 2017, in what is termed “the Queen’s Birthday Honors List,” he was awarded the highly prestigious Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for service to the wine industry. For non-Aussies, that is a big one! A year later, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia and named the Great Wine Capitals Ambassador for South Australia.
Very recently, Gago was awarded perhaps the most prestigious honor of all in the wine world: admission to the Decanter Hall of Fame (previously they honored the Decanter Man – or Woman – of the Year, but that changed). Decanter is a highly respected English wine magazine that established its hall of fame in 1984 with Serge Hochar from Château Musar in Lebanon the first recipient. There is only a single addition per year. Gago is the fourth Australian following Max Schubert in 1988, Len Evans in 1997, and Brian Croser in 2004. That two of the four chief winemakers from a single producer have made this list (Schubert and Gago) is unprecedented but shows just where Penfolds sits in the pantheon of wine producers around the globe.
And should you still remain unconvinced then take a moment to look at some of the names Gago has joined: Parker, Spurrier, Tchelistcheff, Robinson, Moueix, de Villaine, Antinori, Lichine, Gaja, Symington, Loosen, Guigal, Torres, Draper, Peynaud, Mondavi, and so many more. There is no question that the name Peter Gago sits very comfortably alongside them all.
What is most important is that across the board the Penfolds wines have never been better, and while it is a team effort, in the end we can thank Gago.
Winery
After the success of early sherries and fortified wines, founders Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold planted the vine cuttings they had carried on their voyage over to Australia. In 1844 the fledging vineyard was officially established as the Penfolds wine company at Magill Estate.
As the company grew, so too did Dr Penfold's medical reputation, leaving much of the running of the winery to Mary Penfold. Early forays into Clarets and Rieslings proved increasingly popular, and on Christopher's death in 1870, Mary assumed total responsibility for the winery. Mary's reign at the helm of Penfolds saw years of determination and endeavour.
By the time Mary Penfold retired in 1884 (ceding management to her daughter, Georgina) Penfolds was producing 1/3 of all South Australia's wine. She'd set an agenda that continues today, experimenting with new methods in wine production. By Mary's death in 1896, the Penfolds legacy was well on its way to fruition. By 1907, Penfolds had become South Australia's largest winery.
In 1948, history was made again as Max Schubert became the company's first Chief Winemaker. A loyal company man and true innovator, Schubert would propel Penfolds onto the global stage with his experimentation of long-lasting wines - the creation of Penfolds Grange in the 1950s.
In 1959 (while Schubert was perfecting his Grange experiment in secret), the tradition of ‘bin wines' began. The first, a Shiraz wine with the grapes of the company's own Barossa Valley vineyards was simply named after the storage area of the cellars where it is aged. And so Kalimna Bin 28 becomes the first official Penfolds Bin number wine.
In 1960, the Penfolds board instructed Max Schubert to officially re-start production on Grange. His determination and the quality of the aged wine had won them over.
Soon, the medals began flowing and Grange quickly became one of the most revered wines around the world. In 1988 Schubert was named Decanter Magazine's Man of the Year, and on the 50th anniversary of its birth, Penfolds Grange was given a heritage listing in South Australia.
Despite great success, Penfolds never rests on its laurels. In 2012 Penfolds released its most innovative project to date - 12 handcrafted ampoules of the rare 2004 Kalimna Block Cabernet Sauvignon.
Two years later, Penfolds celebrated the 170th anniversary – having just picked up a perfect score of 100 for the 2008 Grange in two of the world's most influential wine magazines. Today, Penfolds continues to hold dear the philosophies and legends – ‘1844 to evermore!'.
South Australia
South Australian is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. It is home to more than 900 wineries across 18 wine regions. The regions are Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Currency Creek, Eden Valley, Kangaroo Island, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Padthaway, Riverland, Robe, Southern Fleurieu, Southern Flinders Ranges and Wrattonbully.
Many of the well-known names in the South Australian wine industry established their first vineyards in the late 1830s and early 1840s. The first vines in McLaren Vale were planted at Reynella in 1839 and Penfold's established Magill Estate on the outskirts of Adelaide in 1844.
South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the State to be able to produce a range of grape varieties - from cool climate Riesling in the Clare and Eden Vallies to the big, full bodied Shiraz wines of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Two of Australia's best-known wines, Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace, are produced here. There is much to discover in South Australia for the wine lover.