2006 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml

Inspired by the iconic jet that took it to the world. The rich and powerful Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, our 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. 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 with inaugural vintage. Early Bin 707s were typically open fermented under wax-lined header boards and matured in seasoned old oak (rather than new oak). The wine was not made from 1970 to 1975 (when fruit was directed to other wines) nor in 1981, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2011 or 2017 (when fruit of the required style and quality was not available).

Vineyard Notes

Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Mount Barker

Vintage Notes

The spring and summer preceding the 1994 vintage were cool and dry in most parts of Australia, a very welcome change from the difficult, wet 1992 spring that had created so many problems the previous year. The result, however, was a very late vintage which had vineyard managers in the cooler areas doubting whether the grapes could possibly ripen fully. Luckily, a long mild autumn allowed full ripeness to be achieved.

Ageing

Fermentation finished in and matured in new American oak barrels for 18 months.

Producer Tasting Notes

COLOUR A tremendous depth of dark crimson. NOSE The complex and stylish bouquet shows intense, sweet, dark fruits – stewed plum and cassis with integrated barrel ferment oak characters. Earthy rich nuances and tobacco complexities add further depth to the aromas. PALATE Highly defined and powerful, the full bodied palate has concentrated blackcurrant flavours complexed by integrated, sweet, strong oak and tannins that grip. The wine shows impeccable balance, sweetness of fruit and a long lingering finish, the hallmarks of a great wine.

Critic tasting note: (2006 vintage) ‘Spicy, tobacco, peppery, intense cassis, black berry, and vanilla aromas mixed with coffee, floral, clove, fruit cake aromas. Ripe, rich, round and full bodied with the usual excellent finesse and grainy tannins. Coffee, vanilla, cassis, boysenberry, tobacco, clove, cedar and licorice flavours with a bit of black olive. Despite being tart on the finish, this has very good balance, purity and complexity. Drinkable now but will improve with 7-10 years of aging. (Anthony Gismondi and Stuart Tobe).’ - 91/100, Gismondi on Wine