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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2018 and 2023 (based on 17 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.2 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 34 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by CO Cork Collectors on 1/17/2024: Still good (185 views) | | | Tasted by Ozsnapper on 6/17/2022: Quite enjoyable. Big. Still quite young for my taste. (900 views) | | | Tasted by rchen on 7/20/2021 & rated 85 points: Fully resolved and drinking well -- Peppery like a Zinfandel, bright plummy fruit notes, mildly tannic, completely ready to enjoy and will mellow and fade from here. Bit of a bargain at USD 15 or so. (1348 views) | | | Tasted by AussieRoddy on 5/4/2021 & rated 90 points: Dark inky red in the glass. full bodied or near it, heavy alcohol prune on the nose. Dark fruits on the front and mid palate with hints of floral and spice. tight acid and tannin early on, it still tastes raw/young to me even at 1hr after opening.
softening nicely with more time, at 2 hours still improving fast, but the bottle is now empty.. Think this has many years ahead of it.. like 7 or more (1388 views) | | | Tasted by Vailman on 3/21/2021 & rated 88 points: About what you would expect from a $20 cab. (1466 views) | | | Tasted by aero on 7/16/2020 & rated 89 points: Medium+ bodied, modern style. 3.5 years ago here I called this wine "young...confused" but a good value. My has that changed, except the value. Peppermint and eucalyptus still dominate nose and palate, with accompaniment of rich dark red fruit, char, soft pepper, and rich chocolate mocha through a strong, long- finish. Low+ complexity, but it's palate is powerful and balanced* (heavy on menthol for my taste) and uplifting.
It's a lot of wine for $20-$25 USD. (1887 views) | | | Tasted by quaffnov on 11/12/2019 & rated 90 points: No formal note, this needs breathing time, a couple of hours minimum, this will allow it to even out and open up. Great QPR! (1651 views) | | | Tasted by Bin707LoversDetroit on 2/16/2019 & rated 91 points: At pnp it was raspy, bitey, with a hit of burnt toast. Dark, concentrated, almost rich. Had we scored it here, it'd be an 87 or so... But we know & LOVE this Aussie style. We have confidence in Penfolds, so we give it an hour. We also break out the White Stilton with Mango & Ginger cheese, pesto and toasted baguette…
We decant. An hour in,... YEAH, THAT’s more like it!
We drank it after a funeral of a Groomsman’s father, so we were trying to punch above our mood, and at first it failed to take us there. By some air time in, we were up with this Penfolds Cab.
Up, not in rarified air, but an “A-“ space. The vin became cohesive, coming together as we expected. No more jagged edges, just smooth juice, fruity with an acidic backbone to balance. Short finish, simply failed to linger much. Not complex, no Bin 389 here. But another nice, big, med-full bodied Down Under red. But darn if it isn't still getting better, now 1.5 hours in. We might finish this bottle tonight.
This stuff is strong. It's got many years left. If you're holding, take your time. As of this writing we see over 400 in cellars. Enjoy! (1711 views) | | | Tasted by aero on 1/8/2017: I'm not quite in the Penfolds cult; however this is quite a young, dense, confused green-ish cab and its prospects are good at the price point. Certainly needs some decanting to be powered through today, but better 3-5+ years in the cellar.
The nose contained serious hits of peppermint, backed by dark cherry, under-ripe strawberry, tobacco, and spice. Palate begins with cherry, plum, oak, plant stems, and finally when it seems terribly boring it explodes with bell peppers, cacao, and additional dense notes difficult to pick apart today. The tart & tannin structure hits hard through a short-ish finish.
Reasonable QPR $10 USD. Good in 2017; perhaps good+ in 2020. (3778 views) | | | Tasted by Enjoying Wine on 7/9/2016 & rated 85 points: Opened the bottle 2 hours before consumption to decant as recommended by others. First pour immediate after opening displayed a nose of dark fruits behind a wall of alcohol. Concentrated. Pepperish bit this could be just the veil of alcohol. That is, not really sure if it belongs to the taste profile. Oak comes and leaves on the nose with strawberries and little of cherry showing through. There is a bit of herbs or greens. Not really sure what it is but its helps draw a picture of strawberry fields although not in the way of pinot noir. More wooded fields. As for taste, totally wrapped up to a point where it is undiscernable. Definitely need to decant. Tannins are there. Acidic. Yup, wrapped up and need decanting. Will update later.
Update: after two hours, it still was wrapped up. Thus, I feel that this is still too early to be drunk. It should be drunk maybe couple years later. There was dark fruit and oak but wasn't the most enjoyable to drink. It just felt I was drinking something concentrated and complicated but not something that didn't come to age yet. Way too early to drink. (3670 views) | | | Tasted by df1962 on 5/11/2016 & rated 87 points: PnVnD let air for 2hrs. Deep garnet purple with violet to clear rim. Plum cassis sage tobacco and cola on the nose. Medium weight with polished but slightly stemmy tannins. Plum cassis and sage on the palate. Hollow in the middle and short and sharp on the finish. Not going to jump back in the Aussie lake based on this one. (3407 views) | | | Tasted by TheWineCop on 3/28/2016 & rated 90 points: Black fruit and toasty oak on the nose and palate (3242 views) | | | Tasted by yuk1230 on 2/2/2016: The first hour is reflecting a strong of black fruit,very strong of sunlight reflecting,but the tannin of it is still firm,after a hour (bottle breath)the covering fruit gone,only most of spica on it,with some of licorice and the bitterness of the pure coco,and another are the greens plum,it is still need 3-5year storage if it need to be the peak...(it let me think about the Lagrange so sad...)
Advise decant 2hour (3284 views) | | | Tasted by Ryan.Vento on 1/25/2016 & rated 90 points: I think this is a solid Cab. Molasses, fig, hints of cedar, and loads of dark fruits. Approachable and perfect for the whole table of friends at dinner. (1116 views) | | | Tasted by Double-A on 7/14/2015 & rated 90 points: Currant, chocolate and marmite on the nose. Dark and concentrated, rich and balanced. Good grip and acidity to finish.
4/5 (652 views) | | | Tasted by raschwartz22@gmail.com on 6/29/2015 & rated 92 points: Exceptional, very nice nose, really good (2690 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, Australia Rediscovers Its Mojo (Mar 2016) (3/1/2016)
(Penfolds Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 9) Subscribe to see review text. | By Steve Thurlow
WineAlign (11/23/2015)
(Penfolds Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (8/20/2015)
(Penfolds Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (7/31/2015)
(Penfolds Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and WineAlign. (manage subscription channels) |
| Penfolds Producer website
Producer Cellar Door - Barossa (Google Maps)
About Us
Australia's winemaking history of less than two hundred years is brief by European measures though, like Europe, punctuated by periods of extreme success and difficult times. From the earliest winemaking days Penfolds has figured prominently and few would argue the importance of Penfolds’ influence on Australia’s winemaking psyche.
Without the influence of Penfolds the modern Australian wine industry would look very different indeed. Sitting comfortably outside of fad and fashion, Penfolds has taken Australian wine to the world on a grand stage and forged a reputation for quality that is without peer.
Penfolds’ reputation for making wines of provenance and cellaring potential might suggest a mantle of tradition and formality is the preferred attire of a company with so much history to defend. But to label Penfolds as simply an established and conventional winemaker, would be to confuse tradition with consideration and to overlook the innovative spirit that has driven Penfolds since its foundation, and continues to find expression in modern times.
If there is anything traditional about Penfolds, it is the practice of constantly reviewing the wines it already does well, and continuously evolving and refining styles as vineyards mature and access to ever older and more varied vineyard sites improves.
Making The Best Possible Wine
At Penfolds, the role of the winemaker is to make the best possible wine within the constraints of each vintage. Penfolds’ house style emerged from a fortified-wine producing culture and evolved as a winemaking philosophy – a way of making wine – which has had a profound effect on the entire Australian wine industry.
The concept of multi-regional and vineyard blending, a feature of the Penfolds house style, is an amplification of the ‘all-round wine’. Without the constraints of a single vineyard, winemakers could choose the best possible fruit with the outstanding characteristics of each vineyard.
While American oak has played a central role in the development of Penfolds red wines, French oak has been increasingly used in the evolution of new wines – particularly RWT and Yattarna. Maturation in oak, which follows fermentation, is also key to the Penfolds house style.
The Penfolds approach to winemaking has percolated through the entire Australian wine industry over the last 50 years. The techniques employed in research and development of Penfolds wines are remarkable and many of the discoveries and innovations have had a lasting impact on winemaking thinking.
Winemakers
In Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, Penfolds has nurtured four of Australia's great winemakers. They have passed the Chief Winemaker’s baton of responsibility for crafting some of Australia's most iconic wines, down through the past six decades.
Joining Peter Gago in the Penfolds winemaking team are Senior Red Winemaker Steve Lienert, Senior White Winemaker Kym Schroeter, and Red Winemakers Andrew Baldwin, Adam Clay, Stephanie Dutton and Matt Woo - also the Penfolds Fortified Winemaker. All members of the Penfolds winemaking team ensure that Penfolds’ reputation for outstanding quality is upheld.
Vineyards
Barossa Valley
Penfolds draws fruit from a combined vineyard area of 618 hectares in the Barossa region of South Australia. The Barossa is about 70 kilometres north of Adelaide and in 1911 Penfolds established a winery at Nuriootpa, completed in time for the 1913 vintage. The Barossa region is known for its relatively low rainfall with many vineyards dry grown on single wire trellising.
Magill Estate
The historic and heritage-protected Magill Estate Vineyard was established in 1844 by Dr Christopher Rawson and Mary Penfold—just eight years after the foundation of Adelaide. It was originally known as the Grange Vineyard, named after their new homestead ‘The Grange’, a cottage which still stands intact amongst the vines.
Eden Valley
Joseph Gilbert planted the first vines in the Eden Valley in 1842 and since that time the region has become synonymous with producing elegant riesling and complex shiraz. While its name suggests a concave nature, Eden Valley is actually a wide ridge, situated east of the Barossa Valley with an altitude ranging from 440 – 550 metres.
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is located approximately 40km to the south of Adelaide, with the vineyards in the region located between 6 and 15 kilometres from the Gulf of St Vincent. The elevation ranges from 50 to 350 metres above sea level. Penfolds has company owned vineyards throughout the region, using the fruit as blending components for premium red wines such as Grange and Bin 389.
Coonawarra
Penfolds has had a long history with the Coonawarra region, dating back to their first vineyard purchase in 1960. It is one of the most famous red wine regions in Australia with weathered limestone terra rossa soils, relatively cool climate and overall water availability. Coonawarra has played a significant role in many of Penfolds' multi-regional wines as well as the single region wines such as Bin 128.
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion Winery Of The Year 2014: Penfolds
Penfolds is Australia’s foremost winemaker, with an unbroken line dating back to its establishment in 1844 when medical practitioner Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and wife Mary purchased ‘the delightfully situated and truly valuable of Mackgill … Comprising 500 acres (202 hectares) of the choicest land’. Here they built the house that still stands today, and within a few years had begun the winery and cellar on the site of today’s buildings at Magill Estate.
Mary took charge of winemaking, initially producing grenache prescribed by her husband as a tonic for anaemic patients. By 1870 she, son-in-law Thomas Hyland and cellar manager/winemaker Joseph Gillard had formed Penfolds & Co. With markets in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, their wine production was over one-third of South Australia’s total.
Growth continued unabated, and in 1945 Penfolds acquired the jewel of the Magill Vineyard, at that time the largest vineyard in South Australia. It now has 2100 hectares of vineyards, the largest share of Australia’s total. Two men came together in the 1950s to lay the foundation of Penfolds today: winemaker Max Schubert, and research chemist Ray Beckwith (who died shortly after his 100th birthday in 2012); indeed, their contribution transcended Penfolds to the entire Australian wine industry.
The architecture for the Penfolds wine portfolio of the twenty-first century was established in the 1960s, half a century ago. There has been growth, both in the range of labels and their price points, but it has been cleverly – indeed sensitively – managed; demand-driven growth has been achieved without any quality compromise whatsoever.
There is no possibility that the pre-eminence of Penfolds will ever be challenged by any other Australian wine business. Equally certain is that the Penfolds brand value will continue to gain ground on the world stage of all consumable products. If proof be needed, the overall quality of the wines in this Wine Companion is the best Penfolds has ever presented to the markets of the globe.
Author: James Halliday Jul 2013Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonAustralia Wine Australia (Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) | Australian Wines (Wikipedia)South Australia South Australian Wine Industry Association | South Australian Wines (Wikipedia) |
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