Mauve violet hue, dark mulberry centre. A perfume that is broodingly un-giving at first…With a little coaxing a varietal ascension of briar, blackcurrant, mulberry and tomato-leaf aromatics. Without as much as a swirl, saddle-leather, cantaloupe skin complexities appear, as do wafts of pencil-shavings oak. Convincingly, Cabernet. Tight and with pristine focuss. Flavours of stewed beetroot meshed with dark liqueured cherry, and a spray of menthol/spearmint. A carpaccio/tartare fleshiness underpinned by beef-stock, powdery tannins. Unmistakably Cabernet, medium to full-bodied, with a firm finish aided & abetted by chunky Cabernet tannins. Fruit sweetness & an overlay of dusty oak.
The objective with Bin 407 has always been to promote cabernet’s varietal character, in tandem with the Penfolds house style. With a couple of notable exceptions, quality cabernet sauvignon has only been widely available for a matter of decades. Many of these vineyards are entering the mature phase of their productive life and there is now a rich source of high quality fruit for Penfolds winemakers to draw from.
James Halliday: 95 The grapes came from Wrattonbully, Padthaway, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra and Langhorne Creek, partially barrel-fermented before spending 14 months in 22% French (100% new) and 68% American (19% new, 16% 1yo, 43% seasoned) oak hogsheads. A very interesting wine; it's not until the finish of the palate and aftertaste that the leopard's spots become clear. From this point you need to work backwards to finally arrive (on reassessment) at the bouquet, which has developed the cassis and plum fragrance it initially lacked, likewise the juicy fruit of the mid-palate.
Past Accolades and Awards: Deep crimson. Beautifully defined dark berry, cassis, dark chocolate, violet, dried roses aromas. Seductive and opulent with superb crème de cassis, plum, blueberry flavours, fine chocolaty sweet tannins and savoury oak nuances. A brilliant wine that stands way above its price point. Vintage: 2010 Score: 97 Points Andrew Caillard MW
Tyson Stelzer: 96 (2010) In classic 2010 style, Bin 407 is approachable from the outset, yet with a tremendous future before it. With magnificent colour, intensity and purity, this is a wine of inky power of deep-set blackcurrant, black plum and cassis fruit of seamless line and incredible persistence. Yet for all of its concentration, it retains a lightness on its feet, with a tangy acid profile and a lifted violet perfume that give a sense of space to its intensity, drawing out cabernet s more refined hallmarks of capsicum, tobacco and crunchy redcurrants. Tannins are firm, fine and well-gauged to the stature of the wine, promising that this stunning 407 will be exceedingly long-lived. For the record, Coonawarra takes the lead, with support from Wrattonbully, Robe, McLaren Vale and Padthaway.
Don't Pay: $85.00
WBW Rating: 97/100
Closure: Stelvin
Region: South Australia
Winemaker: Peter Gago
Drink now until: 2030
Alc/Vol: 14 %
