Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

This is a very fine 707. Often a bit of a yeoman, this is more sophisticated than I recall. Gun barrel tannins with the glint of steely intent. Like a slick of alloyed ball bearings, rolling across the generously weighted palate while delivering iodine, bouquet garni, a swab of tapenade and cassis in all the right places. Rich and powerful, yet detailed and savory all at once. The juiciness of the fruit effortlessly transcends the slathering of oak, predicting a very bright future. A wonderful wine in the making. Best after 2027.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 hails from Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Wrattonbully and is matured for 16 months in American oak hogsheads (100% new). On the nose, the wine is aromatically reticent, but in the mouth, the tannins (then fruit) hit with full force. This is a powerful wine that, to be honest, I find little joy in on release. The firm caveat I would assert at this stage is that old Bin 707—we are talking 20 or 30 years old—is a graceful, powerful, exciting wine. And 2021 was a gorgeous vintage: long, cool and even in the growing season, so the wines produced in this year (from South Australia particularly) are elegant and composed. The fruit here speaks of its vintage origins; however, the oak remains a big part of the story at this early stage. The "plus" part of the score is a very loud indicator of its future potential. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.