Deep purple-crimson; a brooding, powerful wine, black fruits, tannins, tar and earth dominant, the normally sweetening impact of the American oak to no avail. I'm not practising as I preach in giving the wine 94 points for tomorrow not today. Drink by 2022.

- James Halliday (winecompanion.com.au) tasted Mar 2010

Tasted at the LWTF. The Penfolds Bin 707 is essentially Block 42 and Block 41 Cabernet matured in 80% new American oak. It has a ripe almost decadent nose of blackberry, raspberry, cough candy and a touch of truffle. The palate is well balanced with vibrant with fine tannins, great tension here, layers of corpulent red cherry, kirsch, mocha and espresso with great delineation on the compact almost tart finish. Excellent. Drink 2013-2025+ Tasted May 2010.

Bin 707 is always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and always 100% new oak, though it is not released every year. The 2007 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon was matured 15 months in new American oak hogsheads. Very deep purple-black in color, it gives intense notes of vanilla, creme de cassis, blackberry preserves, licorice and espresso plus a bit of dark chocolate. Very crisp with a very high level of chewy tannins, the fruit is just a little ungenerous on the medium to full-bodied palate, giving a long tannin-dominated finish. With another 2 years+ in bottle, the fruit may come forward on this wine and it should drink to 2020+. With a lot of changes happening around the Foster’s Group, it is business as usual at Penfolds…which seems to operate within its own world. But this is no small world. The vineyard holdings here are vast and the connections with growers go back generations. Chief winemaker Peter Gago is the very well spoken front-man for the production team backed-up Kym Schroeter in charge of the whites and Steve Lienert crafting some very fine, consistent and sometimes inspired reds. If Champagne is all about the art of blending, then Penfolds is the Champagne of Australian wine. Those that think large companies producing wines that emphasize blending can’t make great wines need to think about the Champagne model or simply try some of Penfolds top wines to become believers. That said – check out their recent single vineyard release: the very special 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon, the first release of a wine made purely from this 100+ year old single block (perhaps the oldest block of Cabernet in the world?) since 1996. Importer: Foster’s Wine Estates Americas, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-4500

A hit of cola on the opening beats, with marked salinity that heads over towards oyster shell, tannins are layering up pretty quickly, less generous than some, plenty of Cabernet character, concentrated black fruits, an edge of raspberry leaf, this is fresh and mouthwatering. Dominant Padthaway fruit sourcing. 100% new American oak.