critic reviews
You feel the move from the sleek bright lift of Shiraz into a deeper more structured Cabernet as you move through the Penfolds range to the Bin 707. Expect layers of cassis, bilberry, smoked earth, touches of mint leaf and eucalyptus, great quality with an extended finish, keeps you gripped. Peter Gago winemaker, Tom King director.
The 2024 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Padthaway and raised 100% in new American oak. "If the fruit can't stand up to the new American oak, then it's not destined for 707," says chief winemaker Peter Gago. While the élevage may feel prohibitive in its early days, I can say from lived experience that it protects the fruit from the vagaries of aging, and the old bottles of Bin 707 are fresh, vibrant and lovely, lovely things. I always expected to detest (in some form) the combination of American oak and Cabernet Sauvignon, but for this cuvée, I am glad to make an exception. It's like stridently Penfolds. So here, this 2024 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon is inky, plush, powerful, fresh, detailed and very long. The consistent ripeness from the excellent (warm, dry) vintage in South Australia brings with it a supple pliability, while the tannins are profuse and gritty. This is very good, but it's a baby. Patience is recommended, with the expectation that this cuvée will age 30 or 40 years with ease. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Bin 707 is Penfolds's Cabernet Sauvignon made from multi-vineyard and multi-region fruit sourcing, with fermentation completed before maturation in new oak. It was first produced in 1964 and has not been made in certain vintages, either because fruit was allocated elsewhere or because fruit considered suitable for the style was not available. The wine is typically full-bodied and is positioned as a cellar-worthy Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.