1994 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707
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Tasting notes
Earthy on the nose, deep ruby colour, mushroom, bitter chocolate, espresso, chalky tannins, eucalyptus and mint. Stately, almost Bordeaux-style Cabernet with its leafy character and graphite edge. Double decanted just before serving, this has life ahead of it as it hits the 30 year mark. 100% new American oak, John Duval chief winemaker.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Saturated ruby-red. Vibrant blackberry and blackcurrant nose shows pronounced sweet oak notes of scotch and tar. Juicy and intensely flavored, though currently a bit musclebound and not yet showing much complexity. But the tart, juicy berry flavors are fresh and nicely delineated. Finishes with dusty, slightly tongue-drying (oak?) tannins. May yet merit a higher score.
Penfolds' most impressive Cabernet Sauvignon is the 1994 Bin 707. This murky plum-colored, blockbuster, backward, exceptionally tannic Cabernet displays abundant quantities of blackberry and cassis fruit, a heavy overlay of toasty vanillin from new oak casks, and mouthsearing levels of tannin. Although the wine is closed, it is firmly-structured and enormously-endowed in the mouth. Cellar this offering for 2-4 years, and consume it over the following 15+. This winery continues to turn out an insipid selection of white wines, but the reds are all noteworthy, and some are reasonably good values. Importer: Southcorp Wines North America, Monterey, CA; tel. (408) 655-4848
Saturated ruby-red. Vibrant blackberry and blackcurrant nose shows pronounced sweet oak notes of scotch and tar. Juicy and intensely flavored, though currently a bit musclebound and not yet showing much complexity. But the tart, juicy berry flavors are fresh and nicely delineated. Finishes with dusty, slightly tongue-drying (oak?) tannins. May yet merit a higher score.
About the producer
Penfolds is Australia’s most famous wine producer, known best for their iconic top wine, Grange. First produced commercially in 1952, Grange has since gone on to become one of the world’s most famous fine wines. In 2001, the wine was listed as an Australian heritage icon.