Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

The 2018 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of fruit from Coonawarra, Padthaway, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, and Robe. Classically built, it begins with scents of mint, cigar box, and cassis, later adding nuances of olive and chocolate.

It’s medium to full-bodied, with a smooth, silky yet unyielding feel on the palate, and it ends in a wash of dusty tannins. While approachable now, cellaring 2-3 years should result in greater harmony, and this admirably concentrated wine appears capable of aging well for more than a decade.

Vibrant crimson red. Soars brazenly, immediately cabernet – tomato relish/chutney and cassis on the nose. Other fruits edge forward for shelf-space – yellow-fleshed plum (El Dorado?) and ripe persimmon.

Intriguingly, other less assertive aromatics offer more complexity: sage soaked in butter/oil (pre-saltimbocca preparation); olive leaf/turmeric spices, caper brine. Reticent oak (cedar) noted – manifested as a seasoned/maturation character. The palate is medium-bodied; elegantly framed.

No mid-palate deficiencies! Blackcurrant and plum fruits sit alongside mocha/chocolate/walnut flavors. Oak? A genteel (washed, older oak) character – affording a maturation, not a flavor imprint. Mouth-watering with fine, rounded/polished tannins.

In sharp palate contrast – a finessed, varietally-driven alternative to the muscular and Grange-like Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet.

A very confident expression of cabernet sauvignon, this has a briary, red-toned core of fruit with redcurrant, raspberry, and blackcurrant aromas, as well as a cedary-oak thread and some pomegranate notes.

The palate has a very sleek, long, and juicy feel with elegant tannins carrying fully ripe red-plum and dark-cherry flavors. A great 407. Will age well for 15-plus years. Drink or hold.