PENFOLDS BIN 704 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"Steeped in Penfolds winemaking tradition yet still embracing modernity, Bin 704 seeks to redefine Napa Valley Cabernet through a Penfolds lens. Being mindful of varietal nuances, regional essence and silk-like textural definition, the wine is nurtured in French barriques for maturation. Impressive is the cyclical nature of viticulture and winemaking, and Penfolds recognises that different hemispheres often end up being the mirror image of the other. The name Bin 704 draws inspiration from the “mirror” or “reverse” image of its Australian Bin 407 stablemate, a wine which also respects varietal expression.

A sophisticated potpourri of dried flowers and aromatic herbs such as marjoram and sage, accompanied by black and red fruits that provide a vibrant counterpoint. The rusticity of fennel Cacciatori and traditional black pudding adds depth, while notes of freshly baked olive bread adds warmth and comfort. Bay leaf notes mingle with black pepper, all underpinned by subtle notes of oak char and cedar wood.

On the palate, this wine presents fennel/anise and black liquorice flavours that pave the way for fine yet powerful mouthcoating tannins. The weighty structure carries savoury nuances (artisanal charcuterie paired with tangy barberries) adding layers of complexity. Cherry nuances — both cherry pip tartness and white cherry subtle sweetness — play off each other elegantly. The finish is punctuated by notes of preserved salty plum, which linger long after the last sip."

97/100 Andrew Caillard MW (2021 Vintage)
"Deep crimson. Attractive dark cherry, cassis, cedar aromas with marzipan hint sage notes. Beautifully concentrated and balanced wine with ample dark cherry, blackcurrant flavours, fine chocolaty/ al dente tannins and underlying roasted chestnut vanilla notes. Leafy sapid finish with hint aniseed notes. Cabernet for cabernet lovers!"

97/100 Tyson Stelzer (2021 Vintage)
"A Napa cabernet of towering magnitude and epic longevity. A core of deep, dark and powerful blackcurrant and blackberry delivers the impeccable ripeness of an exceptional and moderate season of long, slow ripening. French oak provides perfectly integrated and eloquent support. Fine-grained, sinewy tannins lace together an exceptional finish that will hold it sure for decades to come."

94/100 James Halliday’s Wine Companion (2021 Vintage)
"Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon matured for 16 months in French oak barriques (48% new). The excellent 2021 Napa vintage comes through with a bright, detailed aromatic profile of blackberry, red cherry and blackcurrant fruits, abundant spice, sage, olive tapenade, licorice, tobacco, cedar and earth. Impressive fruit depth and intensity with hints of dried meats, chocolate and dried herbs, an array of lovely fine-grained tannin making its presence felt as the wine slowly fades."

94/100 Campbell Mattinson​, The Wine Front, July 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"Bin 704 is meant as a “mirror image” of its Australian Bin 407 stablemate. Bin 704 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 100% Napa Valley. It was matured for 16 months in all-French oak, 48% new. This is a wine of svelte, tannic power. It’s driven by red berries and musk, and while it’s grunty on the finish it feels generally elegant, almost restrained. It presents a rush of licorice, blackcurrant, tangy cherry and smoked meat flavour, its sweet, luscious, tangy core giving you plenty to muse on. You could argue that the tannin here throws the balance out fractionally but I’m not penalising it because a) the grunt is a good counterpoint to the svelte and b) the flavour profile dares to dream a bit."

93/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2021 Vintage)
"Saturated purple colour; the bouquet has its own set of aromas, violets, lavender, dried and fresh herbs, and the palate is leaner, tenser, more tightly focused and firm in tannins. A linear and tensioned wine that needs time to fill out. (16 months in French oak barriques, 48% new)."