Penfolds Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018 (750ml)

 

Rated 96 Points by Wine Enthusiast

 

This is the first vintage of the Australian producer’s foray into Napa Valley.  It is tightly structured yet supple, bursting in bright currant and strawberry flavors.  Savory components of sage, dried herb and black pepper dot the palate alongside silky tannins and chocolate-laced richness.  A fresh touch of blood orange arises on the finish.  Enjoy from 2028 – 2033.  “Cellar Selection”  (V.B.)  (2/2021)

 

Rated 95 Points by James Suckling

 

A beautiful, aromatic wine with blackcurrant, cool fruit and hints of minerals and tar.  Full-bodied, yet polished and really well manicured.  Long and creamy.  Shows tension, energy and refinement.  Drink after 2024, but so beautiful already.  Hard not to drink.  (2/2021)

 

Rated 95 Points by Decanter

 

Bright and vibrant in the glass with deep, dark aromas of black plum grasped in a tight-fisted blackberry glove.  While the body is fashionably lean, the initially tight flavors relax to a plush embrace.  More is revealed as the wine opens up in the mouth: sumptuous fruit that remains firm and politely behaved, a chew of tobacco and deliberate oak tannins that bite in the tail.  (D.S.)  (2/2021)

 

Rated 95 Points James Halliday

 

In what Peter Gago describes in his inimitable fashion as 'the hemispherical inverse of Bin 407' this is a magnificently crafted Napa cabernet that offers allure from day one, yet great promise in years to come.  Napa provenance is avowed confidently in a rich, ripe and succulent core of generous blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, even a hint of licorice.  Fruit and high-class French oak tannins unite to wonderful effect in a refined and confident structure, meshing harmoniously with fruit and drawing out a very long finish.  (TS)  (2/2021)

 

Rated 93 Points by Vinous

 

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 704 is rich and effusive, with all of the personality of the vintage on display.  Sweet spice, mocha, dark raspberry jam, licorice and leather all take shape in the glass.  Medium in body, with bright acids, the 2018 will drink well with minimal cellaring.  It is another super attractive wine in this new lineup from Penfolds, but it is also a bit tight and in need of a few years in bottle.  (AG)  (2/2021)

 

Rated 91 Points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 

"A hemispherical mirror image of Bin 407," Penfolds's chief winemaker, Peter Gago, said with a smile.  It was only then that I got that 704 is 407 backwards.  "We are able to access vineyards in Napa that others can’t access," he went on to say, referencing Treasury Wine Estates' considerable landholdings in this region.  Beringer, Sterling Vineyards, Stags’ Leap Winery, Beaulieu Vineyards, etc.  "We have sensitively used small amounts from our top vineyards - requested rows in the Burgundian model."

 

Penfolds Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Napa Valley 2018

 

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 recognizes 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.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Dark Cabernet fruits transfer from the nose to the palate with a silk-like flow.  Animated and lithe yet still somewhat restrained, it has a humble personality but with the quiet conviction of Napa.

 

Taste Description

 

Nose:  Savory expressions lead the charge, finding many forms – carpaccio style red meats, seared beef with a mild pepper crust, bay leaf and wild thyme.

At the heart of the wine lies a Penfolds soul with mention of Black Forest cake, glazed cherries and dark chocolate aromas (all noted within 2018 Australian Penfolds Bins).

Oak doesn’t distract on the nose, it is impossible to avert attention from a fruit-derived core.

Palate:  A silk-like flow, Bin 704 is still somewhat restrained during this embryonic stage.
 

Dark cabernet fruits transfer from the nose to the palate, common to both senses.
 

Primary fruits are animated and lithe, personality is humble yet there is still quiet conviction when it comes to the wine’s origins...Napa!  Without a doubt, regionally entrenched.

Chocolate coated (flavor) almonds (tannic-texture).

Pomegranate-like acidity contributes to liveliness and dovetailed cedary/spicy oak adds to intrigue.
 

Sleek.  Silken.  Supple.

Color:  Deep Red.

 

Viticulture & Winemaking

 

Peter Gago - Chief Winemaker

 

Peter joined the winemaking team in 1989, initially in the craftsmanship of sparkling wines, before moving on to reds as Penfolds Red Wine Maker.  In 2002 Peter became the fourth ever Chief Winemaker for Penfolds.  Together with his fellow winemakers, Peter’s careful custodianship has ensured that Grange and the other ‘older’ members of the Penfolds family, have continued to set the benchmark for their style and quality, while new additions to the range push the boundaries ever wider.

 

 

Penfolds

 

The success of Penfolds has been driven by the generations of visionaries and innovators.  From the beginning in 1844 to today, the merging of science, art and innovation has driven Penfolds to become one of Australia's most famed and respected winemakers.

 

Winemaking Philosophy

 

For over 170 years, three distinct styles have underpinned our winemaking philosophy: single vineyard or single block, single region or sub-region, multi-region, and multi-varietal blending.

 

Our single vineyard and single block wines are celebrated for their unique terroir and sense of place.  These include Magill Estate Shiraz, Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cellar Reserve Kalimna Block 25 Mataro, and Bin 170 Kalimna Shiraz.

 

Similarly, our wines sourced from a single region or sub-region represent the best of what that region or sub-region can offer.  These wines are regarded for their optimised regional character and microclimate variants such as soil, drainage and aspect.  Examples include RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz, Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz, Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz and Bin 23 Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir.

 

Finally, both multi-region and multi-varietal blending exemplify what Penfolds is best known for from a winemaking perspective – crafting wines to a house style.  Penfolds Grange is the original and most powerful expression of this blending philosophy, which results in a consistency of style and quality across vintages.  Other examples of this style include St Henri Shiraz, Yattarna, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz and Grandfather Rare Tawny.

 

 

Rated 96 Points by Wine Enthusiast

 

This is the first vintage of the Australian producer’s foray into Napa Valley.  It is tightly structured yet supple, bursting in bright currant and strawberry flavors.  Savory components of sage, dried herb and black pepper dot the palate alongside silky tannins and chocolate-laced richness.  A fresh touch of blood orange arises on the finish.  Enjoy from 2028 – 2033.  “Cellar Selection”  (V.B.)  (2/2021)