Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Gift Box)

"Peter Gago now describes Bin 707 as 'the Grange of cabernet' and its price is certainly heading this way (2019 was $650 and there was no 2020, so a jump to $800 represents the only significant price rise in the Penfolds release this year). But there’s no doubt this is a vintage with the stature and endurance to support his association, with more than 50% sourced from Coonawarra in what he rightly considers one of the greatest seasons since 1991. The core of blackcurrant fruit exudes a purity and violet lift that belie its profound depth and concentration, carrying effortlessly with pinpoint clarity and yet staggering impact. The explosion of chalk mineral tannins, the brightness of acidity and the mesmerising confidence with which it holds its line and length in suspended animation make this one of the greatest and most enduring Bin 707s in the long lineage of this fabled label."  Tyson Stelzer - 99 points

"This stellar Cabernet sources its fruit from Coonawarra, Barossa and Wrattonbully. It spent 16 months in new American oak hogsheads. An opaque maroon colour, there are notes of dusty red earth here. Chocolate and tobacco leaves, soy, dried herbs, florals and aniseed. Hints of animal skins add to the complexity. There is serious intensity and focus, exemplary balance. With time in the glass, notes of both red and black fruits become ever more dominant, primarily blackcurrants and raspberries, backed by a slippery texture and satiny tannins with real persistence on a very long finish. Finesse and power. The nose is gorgeous, the palate even better. A twenty year proposition."  Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot - 98 points

"Great to see this famous wine back. The fruit comes from Coonawarra, the Barossa and Wrattonbully, so there is quite a deal of cooler climate fruit influence in here. It gets 100% new American oak for 16 months making it one of the most idiosyncratic Australian cabernets. An engaging mix of mulberry and raspberry underpinned by deeper blackcurrant notes. The tannins have an almost glistening character adding brightness and energy through the very long palate. But then there is a creamy spicy roasted meat character adding further to the complex weave of flavours. One of the very best I can recall since this great wine was re-introduced from 1976. Plush, opulent and powerful."  Ray Jordan - 98 points

"An incredibly pure, precise and focussed wine, charged with bright, crisp, crunchy fresh berry fruit and fifty shades of Cabernet cassis. Tensile tannins, with grain but exquisite finesse. This is vivid, vibrant, energetic and dynamic in its clarity and luminosity. A tidal wave of fresh berries. The fruit is tightly coiled and strapped to the well-defined, chiselled backbone. It glides over the palate, glistening as it does so and releasing little eddies and undercurrents of fresh fruit and juicy sapidity. The oak is almost imperceptible and this is remarkably accessible already. Great indeed."  Colin Hay, The Drinks Business - 98 points

"There was no Bin 707 produced from the 2020 vintage. This leaves a lot of eyes on the ’21, and what an outstanding South Australian red wine vintage to come back to. The stalwarts, Coonawarra and the Barossa are joined by Wrattonbully (not a usual suspect) in a well-tempered, well-balanced 707 with a touch of unusual restraint. A solid core of Barossa-led sweet berry plum compote and gentle spice is joined by a living large Coonawarra component of briar, sage, thyme, dusty cacao and red earthiness. Complex and nuanced, you could linger long over a glass and enjoy an ever-changing set of moods from the aromatic to the savoury, the firm and fine tannin-ed to the open and warm. Pitches 707 as a chameleon, and I have to say it fits the descriptor perfectly. Drink: 2023-2047"  Jeni Port, Wine Pilot – 97 points

"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, Jamessuckling.com - 97 points

"Deep crimson. Lovely blackcurrant, mocha, grilled nut aromas with espresso, hint liquorice notes. Generous pure cassis, dark plum, praline, hint demi-glace flavours, fine grainy. graphite firm tannins, very good mid palate density, well-integrated mocha, roasted almond notes and underlying mineral freshness. Finishes chocolaty firm with some tobacco leaf notes. Grange in Cabernet clothing which should age brilliantly well. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Wrattonbully, 16 months maturation in 100% new American oak hogsheads Drink 2026 – 2050 14.5% alc."  Andrew Caillard MW - 97 points

"The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 is a stunning expression of South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Wrattonbully. It offers the ultimate combination of power and grace. It’s bursting at the seams with detailed cassis, violets, dried herbs and cedar aromas wrapped up in a thick blanket of primary oak. The flavor profile has an impressive density, which is controlled and tight, with a rich vein of muscular tannins focusing on the overall package. Long, energetic and robust, this is a wine that will go on and on and on."  Angus Hughson, Vinous - 97 points

"Cabernet sauvignon from Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Padthaway. 16 months in 100% new American oak. Nails it. Commanding as all hell, powerfully fruited, long. Blackcurrant and cedar, suggestions of vanilla, flings of tobacco – and all that. The tannin framework of this wine is monumentally good; it curls on forever. Flavour sweeps in and just keeps on coming although, it must be said, not at the expense of freshness. How long do you have? This wine has the future covered. Drink: 2027 - 2045+."  Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 97 points 

"Concentrated red-purple colour; aromas of blackberry and assorted dark fruits, plums and mulberry, with a layer of smoky savoury nuances but not overtly oaky. The wine is massive on the palate: very full-bodied and firm, gripping and dense, with a very long finish and follow-through. A sturdy cabernet that seems less oaky and formidable this year, and which will richly reward long-term cellaring. Drink 2026–2046."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 96 points

"With a skip in the release schedule, Bin 707 is back with a stylish rendition of the famous Penfolds icon that sees 16 months' maturation in new American oak hogsheads. Deep, impenetrable crimson in the glass with aromas of ripe blackberry, blackcurrant and crème de cassis supported by hints of spice, licorice, dark chocolate, coconut, plum compote, figs, earth and pastry tones. It's plush as always but it seems to be a quieter release, perhaps a little finer in structure with compact cocoa-powder tannins and trademark creamy American oak that makes its presence felt on the finish, which shows excellent persistence but perhaps a little less latent horsepower than usual. Drink by 2050."  Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion - 96 points

The story of bin 707

Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Penfolds first commercial release of a single cabernet-based wine, is linked to Max Schubert's dream of making a great Australian red wine that could last at least 20 years.

When Penfolds purchased the 1888-planted Kalimna Vineyard, including the prized Block 42 plantings of cabernet sauvignon, the varietal was still quite rare in Australia. Schubert had originally thought the Kalimna Vineyard might be a source for Grange, but early crops proved unreliable.

During the '50s and early '60s cabernet sauvignon was mostly used for blending, but Schubert's breakthrough with the varietal as a stand-alone wine came in 1964, at a time when Penfolds was expanding its red table wine portfolio. Early Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignons were typically open fermented under wax-lined header boards and matured in seasoned old oak (rather than new oak). While these early wines were well received by trade and media, a disappointing 1969 vintage led Penfolds to discontinue production until it could find reliable and consistent fruit.

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon returned with the 1976 vintage, primarily based on Coonawarra fruit with vital input from the Barossa Valley. Since then the winemaking blueprint for Bin 707 has been almost identical to Grange, including partial barrel fermentation and 18 months maturation in new American hogsheads. Within a few years of its relaunch, Bin 707 was considered by collectors as a benchmark Australian cabernet sauvignon.

Coonawarra and Barossa Valley, particularly the Kalimna and Koonunga Hill vineyards, have been at the heart of the Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon since the 1970s. Today, the cool-climate Robe, Padthaway and Wrattonbully vineyards in South-East South Australia are additional sources.

Winemaking is very similar to Grange, and as a consequence, the style relies on the riper spectrum of cabernet sauvignon flavours and tannins. In colder growing seasons, when it is difficult to reach optimum ripeness, the wine is not released. These strict selection principles ensure continuity of the Bin 707 style and quality across all released vintages.

Penfolds Rewards of Patience 2021 

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!'.