Penfolds 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 704, Napa Valley

Introducing the California Collection. This inaugural release is an endeavor more than twenty years in the making, when Penfolds winemakers first imported heritage vine cuttings from esteemed South Australian vineyards and planted them in California soil.

Steeped in Penfolds winemaking tradition yet still embracing modernity, Bin 704 seeks to redefine Napa Valley Cabernet through a Penfolds lens. Grapes are sourced from Oakville and Rutherford and there's even a splash of the juice that goes into Penfolds' 707 Cabernet. The wine is aged 16 months in 40% new French oak barrels.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine awarded this a Cellar Selection and scored it 96 points saying "This is the first vintage of the Australian producer’s foray into Napa Valley. It is tightly structured yet supple, bursting in bright currant and strawberry flavors. Savory components of sage, dried herb and black pepper dot the palate alongside silky tannins and chocolate-laced richness. A fresh touch of blood orange arises on the finish. Enjoy from 2028 – 2033."

James Suckling scored this 95 points saying "A beautiful, aromatic wine with blackcurrant, cool fruit and hints of minerals and tar. Full-bodied, yet polished and really well manicured. Long and creamy. Shows tension, energy and refinement. Drink after 2024, but so beautiful already. Hard not to drink."

Decanter Magazine scored this 95 points saying "Bright and vibrant in the glass with deep, dark aromas of black plum grasped in a tight-fisted blackberry glove. While the body is fashionably lean, the initially tight flavors relax to a plush embrace. More is revealed as the wine opens up in the mouth: sumptuous fruit that remains firm and politely behaved, a chew of tobacco and deliberate oak tannins that bite in the tail."