Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet 750ml

Vibrant crimson red color. The aromas soars brazenly, immediately cabernet – tomato relish/chutney, cassis. Other fruits edge forward for shelf-space, like yellow fleshed plum (El Dorado?) and ripe persimmon. Intriguingly, other less assertive aromatics offer more complexity: sage soaked in butter/oil (pre-saltimbocca preparation); olive leaf/turmeric spices, caper brine. Reticent oak (cedar) noted – manifested as a seasoned/maturation character. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied and elegantly framed. No mid-palate deficiencies! Blackcurrant and plum fruits sit alongside mocha/chocolate/walnut flavors. Oak? A genteel (washed, older oak) character – affording a maturation, not a flavor imprint. Mouth-watering with fine, rounded/polished tannins. In sharp palate contrast – a finessed, varietally-driven alternative to the muscular and Grange-like Bin 707 Cabernet.
Drinking well now, but will improve with time. Peak drinking Now – 2038.

96 Pts – Decanter
The complete Cabernet chorus sings its way out of the glass – fruit, leaf and flower, all in perfect harmony. Rich from the outset, it draws together a full body with grace and elegance, while fine tannins sustain the velvet plushness that rolls through. You’re left with complex aftertaste that provides exactly what the nose suggests. The circle is complete. An inspiring wine. Drinking Window 2020 – 2040

94 Pts – James Suckling
A very confident expression of cabernet sauvignon, this has a briary, red-toned core of fruit with redcurrant, raspberry and blackcurrant aromas, as well as a cedary-oak thread and some pomegranate notes. The palate has a very sleek, long and juicy feel with elegant tannins carrying fully ripe red-plum and dark-cherry flavors. A great 407. Will age well for 15-plus years. Drink or hold.

92 Pts – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2018 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of fruit from Coonawarra, Padthaway, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Robe. Classically built, it begins with scents of mint, cigar box and cassis, later adding nuances of olive and chocolate. It’s medium to full-bodied, with a smooth, silky yet unyielding feel on the palate, and it ends in a wash of dusty tannins. While approachable now, cellaring 2-3 years should result in greater harmony, and this admirably concentrated wine appears capable of aging well for more than a decade.