Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon represents the Penfolds house red wine style at its most rich and powerful. Typically it is immensely concentrated with dark berry/dark chocolate fruit, balanced and enhanced by well-seasoned new oak, plenty of fruit sweetness and strong, but not overwhelming tannins. Breaking with the tradition of using storage bin numbers, Bin 707 was named after the Boeing 707, the aircraft that brought Australia closer to the rest of the world during the 1960s! The wine is sourced from the best parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon which are vinified in open stainless steel fermenters before undergoing partial barrel-fermentation in new American oak hogsheads for a period of 18 months.
'A precise, correct and intense nose proffers florality, sandalwood and cassis. On the palate this is no less expressive, with a core of exquisitely sweet blackcurrant and blueberry fruit ably supported by charred meat, pan juice and mocha. Beautifully structured with a fine acidic structure and velvet, glossy tannins, this has a feeling of coiled and controlled power. Remarkably, it has spent 20 months in new American oak hogsheads but because the fruit is so flexed and glorious, the oak is barely perceptible. Superb. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040'
96 points, John Stimpfig for Decanter.
"Very deep red/purple colour, concentrated and dense. The palate is very savoury, dry and endowed with loads of soft, powdery tannins. Complex, non-fruity aromas with coconut, black fruit, smoky and sooty nuances, incredible density and concentration, chewy but supple texture, the finish endless and savoury, unfolding more every time it's sipped. The complexity of the wine almost defies description. Just about any positive red wine adjective applies. It's not about Cabernet varietal character, just great red wine character. Tremendous length and balance: it's a wine which will live for decades and keep revealing more and more. (Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Padthaway. 20 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads.) Drink 2020-2055."
98 points, The Real Review.
"From Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Padthaway, matured for 20 months in new American hogsheads. No-one could seriously suggest 707 should be matured in French oak any more than Grange. It is a product of its time, and has to be honoured for what it is: a very, very good full-bodied Australian dry red."
95 points, Wine Advocate (August 2017)
"The sweep of vanilla, the pour of blackcurrant, the high notes of spearmint. This is satiny cabernet, chocked with fruit and oak but with more than a passing nod to elegance. Tannin is the thing; it’s so neatly folded into the flavour. Length here is quite phenomenal. Quality here is as clear as a bright blue sky."
96 points, Wine Front (October 2018)
"Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 is simply a chocolate box of layered delights, revealing crème de cassis and black cherry notes plus underlying roasted nuts, espresso, licorice, pepper, menthol hints and a waft of cedar chest. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, the firm, grainy structure well-supports the densely packed fruit and savory layers, finishing with epic persistence and on a spicy note. This is a keeper that should cellar well over 20+ years!"
95+ points, Wine Advocate (November 2017)
"American oak delivers a coconut oil thread as this wine is young. It really needs to be matured to allow the rest of the wine to show interest and character. The slightly raw, bourbon-ish nose has mocha, coffee, chocolate and blackberry as well as dark cherry fruits. The palate has a density and depth, some very alluring richness and long, ripe polished tannins here. Best from 2025 through to 2040."
95 points, JamesSuckling.com (October 2017)
South Australia is the driest state on the world’s driest continent. Covering almost 1 million (984 377km) square kilomteres, it represents 12.8% of the Australian land mass. Sweeping plains are intersected by a spine of relatively low lying ranges, the Mount Lofty/Flinders Ranges which extend through the heart of the State. Over 50% of the state is elevated at under 150 metres. The Great Artesian basin covers almost one-third of the State. The major river is the River Murray which lethargically makes its way into the Southern Ocean. This water mass has a moderating effect on climate, particularly in the southern regions of South Australia where most vines are planted.
Summers are generally hot and dry with relatively mild nights. Winters are cool. Rainfall occurs mostly during late autumn/winter (May, June, July, August). Drought and salinity are major concerns.
The principle wine regions in South Australia are; the Adelaide Hills, Barossa (comprising the Barossa and Eden Valleys), Clare Valley, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Coonawarra and the Riverland. Vineyard expansion has also extended to Wrattonbully, Mount Benson, Bordertown, Robe, Southern Fleurieu and the Flinders Ranges.
It is a tradition for many wine companies to make multi-district blends from South Australian fruit – the idea of house style taking precedence over regional definition. Penfolds pioneered this concept. The vagaries of vintage variation can be evened out by fruit selection, ensuring quality at a high level. However there is debate that this concept comes at the expense of the ‘soul’ of the wine. Penfolds Grange is probably the most famous multi-district blend and is an excellent counter-argument.
Andrew Caillard MW, Langton'sPenfolds
Penfolds is probably the most extraordinary of the world’s wine brands with an enviable reputation for quality at every price level. The original Penfold was an English doctor who, in 1844, planted grapes at Magill, now a suburb of Adelaide. However, it was not until the late 1940s that Penfolds began to forge a reputation for red wine.
The Penfolds house style emerged from a fortified wine producing culture and evolved as a winemaking philosophy which has had a profound effect on the entire Australian wine industry. Many of the techniques initially adopted to make Penfolds Grange would become part of the wider Penfolds winemaking culture. The number of techniques employed in the research and development of Penfolds wines is astonishing. Max Schubert and his team pioneered: major advances in yeast technology and paper chromatography; the understanding and use of pH in controlling bacterial spoilage; the use of headed down/submerged cap fermentation and the technique of rack and return; cold fermentation practices; the use of American oak as a maturation vessel and perhaps most critically, partial barrel fermentation. Nowadays, the use of American oak and barrel fermentation for instance is considered traditional Barossa winemaking practice!
Today, Penfolds house style embraces the concept of multi-regional blending, optimum fruit quality, the use of fine-grained American or French oak, barrel fermentation and maturation. Overall, the Penfolds style is about highly-defined fruit aromas, fruit sweetness, ripe tannins, richness, power and concentration. The number of iconic wines that have emerged from the Penfolds stable over the years is remarkable. Bin 389 a Cabernet Shiraz blend released in 1960 is now considered the quintessential Australian wine blend. Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz and Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz released in 1962 pre-empted the contemporary enthusiasm for regional definition by about 25 years. Improved vineyard management, site selection and winemaking brought about subsequent releases of Bin 707 and Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon. The Penfolds Wine Making Philosophy is the accumulation of more than half-a-century of knowledge and winemaking practice initiated by Max Schubert and subsequently refined by Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago. Their collective commitment to multi-regional and vineyard blending contributed to a consistency of style and quality that has cemented Penfolds reputation as the foremost producer of premium age-worthy red wines in Australia.
