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The Star of Our Thanksgiving Staff Training:
2018 Penfolds Bin 600, 8 Years On.
Penfolds’ own vine cuttings, Napa Valley and Paso Robles fruit, and American oak in the hands of a master. Supremely beautiful right now.
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A Personal Note
Dear Artisans,
Last week we gathered the staff for our annual Thanksgiving staff training, which we have run every one of the 18 years we’ve been open. We lay out a spread of all the classic dishes you’d see on a Thanksgiving table, everyone picks several of their favorite wines to pair, and we taste it all live. It is the best education we know to serve our Artisans.
One of Christine’s selections stood completely apart and blew everyone away: the 2018 Penfolds Bin 600 Cabernet-Shiraz. It is not just a sublime Thanksgiving pairing. It is a sublime red in every way.
The American Oak Masters
Every one of those wines is a masterclass in American oak barrels, and the greatest example of how to use them. That is why they stand apart, and why we compare them. In the hands of these producers, American oak gives a supremely elegant, integrated note of subtle toasted coconut and fresh dill, a beautiful break from French-oak-aged reds. The 2018 Bin 600 spent 16 months in American oak, 40% of it new.
Penfolds Cuttings, California Fruit
Bin 600 is named for Penfolds’ original California vineyard, the Creston 600 Ranch in Paso Robles. Its grapes come from the heritage vine cuttings Penfolds first planted there in 1998, taken from its Kalimna and Magill Estate vineyards in South Australia. The 2018 blends 78% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and Sonoma with 22% Paso Robles Shiraz.
8 Years On
Eight years on, the 2018 Bin 600 is a show-stopping stunner. The bouquet is so powerful, and the texture is bursting velvet with each sip.
We have 60 bottles left of this aged library gem. You must experience it for yourself, with Thanksgiving or anytime. The rest of our Penfolds, from Bin 28 to Grange, is below.
James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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What The Drinkers Say
CellarTracker community notes on the 2018 Bin 600, from 93 to 96 points.
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Why This Matters
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Eight years on, and ready. The 2018 has had time to come together, and James Halliday gives it until 2038. |
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Penfolds’ own vines in California. Its grapes grow from cuttings of Penfolds’ Kalimna and Magill Estate vineyards, first planted in Paso Robles in 1998. |
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Two 94s. James Halliday and The Somm Journal score it 94, and James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast 93. |
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$64.97, or $59.97 by the six. Elsewhere $80. Only 60 bottles left. |
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Our 12 Penfolds At A Glance
Every score, every price. Bin 600 first, then Bin 28 to Grange.
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The Wine · Only 60 Bottles Left
2018 Penfolds Bin 600 Cabernet-Shiraz
Penfolds cuttings, Napa Valley and Paso Robles, eight years on.
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Kalimna & Magill CuttingsAmerican Oak8 Years On
2018 Penfolds Bin 600
California · Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
Named for Penfolds’ original California vineyard, the Creston 600 Ranch in Paso Robles. The 2018 is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and Sonoma and 22% Shiraz from Paso Robles, aged 16 months in American oak, 40% new.
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94
James Halliday
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94
Somm Journal
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93
James Suckling
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93
Wine Enthusiast
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92
Vinous
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92
Decanter
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James Halliday Wine Companion
94 Points
78% cabernet (Napa Valley and Sonoma) with 22% shiraz (Paso Robles). Matured 16 months in 60/40% 1yo/new American oak barrels… The ultimate multicultural marriage, a far-flung take on the great Australian blend, exuberantly celebrating the luscious, ripe and generous mood of California within the signature scaffolding of Penfolds. A core of cabernet is proclaimed in impressive blackcurrant and cassis, with a fleshy mid palate built by the spicy blackberry fruit of shiraz. In time, it morphs triumphantly into intense fresh licorice straps. Fine American oak and fruit tannins unite to form a taut frame that declares a strong finish of great length and grand potential. — February 2021
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The Somm Journal
94 Points
This multiregional California blend contains fruit from Napa, Sonoma, and the winery’s own Camatta Hills property, planted to cuttings from its Kalimna and Magill estates in South Australia; located in Paso Robles’ Creston District, it was originally called Creston 600 Ranch, and the wine was named Bin 600 in its honor. With its rolling hills, large diurnal temperature swings, and clay-loam and calcareous soils, the terroir is reminiscent of the Barossa Valley, and it shows in the wine’s herb-kissed depth of blackberry and plum, which morphs into a rare–roast beef meatiness. Sparked by salinity, caperberry and olive tapenade come into play. A streak of chocolate-almond croissant provides voluminous softness while sweetening the savory elements.
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James Suckling
93 Points
A very fine and polished red with cherry, berry, chocolate and cedar aromas and flavors. Some spice and meat with hints of tea leaf. Some ash, too. Medium body and extremely refined texture, showing real balance and elegance. The tannins spread across the palate in a beautiful way. 78% cabernet sauvignon and 22% shiraz. Drink or hold. — February 2021
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Wine Enthusiast
93 Points
This is a blend of 78% Napa Valley- and Sonoma-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Shiraz from Paso Robles. It is a smooth and earthy wine that offers flavors of leather, earth, iron and crushed rock cut against herbal accents. — Virginie Boone, April 2021
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Vinous
92 Points
Bold and racy to the core, the 2018 possesses terrific richness and tons of allure. Blackberry jam, dried flowers, espresso, licorice and leather build in a sumptuous, opulent wine… The blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Shiraz from sites in Napa Valley, Sonoma and Paso Robles works so well here. It spent 16 months in American oak, 40% new. — Antonio Galloni, January 2021
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Decanter
92 Points
A blend of 78% Napa Valley and Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah mainly from Paso Robles, planted by Penfolds from top-tier Australian cuttings. Fruitcake, tar, eucalyptus and incense envelop the nose, then flavours of black liquorice, dark chocolate, molasses and espresso completely coat the palate. The finish showcases concentrated, powerful dark fruits and leathery, fine tannins. — Matthew Luczy, January 2021
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| Named For |
The Creston 600 Ranch, Paso Robles |
| Vines |
Heritage cuttings from Kalimna and Magill Estate, first planted 1998 |
| Blend |
78% Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, Sonoma) · 22% Shiraz (Paso Robles) |
| Cellar |
16 months in American oak, 40% new |
| Drink |
Now through 2038 (James Halliday) |
| Elsewhere: $80.00 |
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$64.97 / bottle
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$59.97 / btl at 6+ save $30.00
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| Case pricing applies automatically at checkout. No code needed. |
| • Only 60 Bottles Left |
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Bin 28 · Our Wine Spectator Top 10 Pick
2023 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
Penfolds’ first Bin wine, and our greatest buy of the year.
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First Bin Wine, 1959Decanter’s Star BuyOur WS Top 10 Pick
2023 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
South Australia · Shiraz
Bin 28 began in 1959, when Penfolds made it solely from the Kalimna Vineyard in the Barossa, the same vineyard whose cuttings now grow Bin 600 in California. The 2023 blends Barossa Valley fruit with Padthaway and McLaren Vale and spends 12 months in American oak hogsheads. Expect blackberry, black cherry and mulberry pie with dark chocolate, held together by fine, strong tannins.
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95
James Halliday
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94
Wine Spectator
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94
Winepilot
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94
Decanter
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93
Wine Advocate
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93
James Suckling
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Wine Spectator
94 Points
Offers an exuberant mix of fresh huckleberry, boysenberry and blackberry syrup, plus framboise. Accents of toasted green tea, milk chocolate and rose petal emerge, along with clove, apricot and cardamom, all on a juicy, approachable frame, with dense tannins that never get in the way of the concentrated flavors. Drink now through 2038. — MaryAnn Worobiec, December 2025
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Decanter
94 Points
Penfolds’ first Bin wine, from 1959… There’s more new wood this year (15%), but it wears it beautifully, and that firm tannic backbone promises to carry this already approachable wine through the next two decades. Mulberry pie aromas, inviting with lots of vanilla and sweet baking spices, joined by savoury olive brine, tarmac and liquorice. The fresh but concentrated palate has more of the same, along with dark chocolate-coated cherries. Really impressive already, with more to come; the star buy from this year’s collection. — Tina Gellie, June 2025
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| First Vintage |
1959 · Penfolds’ first Bin wine |
| Blend |
Shiraz · 42% Barossa Valley, 31% Padthaway, 27% McLaren Vale |
| Cellar |
12 months in American oak hogsheads, 15% new |
| Drink |
Now through 2038 (Wine Spectator) · to 2043 (Decanter) |
| Elsewhere: $40.00 |
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$29.97 / bottle
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How is it $29.97 when Penfolds’ US retail is $40? We negotiate hard and lean on long partnerships with our distributors, and the savings go to our Artisans.
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The Rest of Our Penfolds
From “Baby Grange” to Grange
The South Australian Penfolds in our cellar right now, from Bin 389 up to Grange.
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Bin 389 · “Baby Grange”
Penfolds Bin 389: 2018 and 2023
Aged partly in barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange.
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Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz
South Australia · Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
Max Schubert first made Bin 389 in 1960. Its nickname comes from the cellar: part of the wine matures in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. The 2018 is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Shiraz.
The 2018
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97
James Suckling
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96
Decanter
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94
Vinous
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93
Wine Advocate
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92
Wine Spectator
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James Suckling
97 Points
A blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon and 43% shiraz, this has a very impressively complete feel, a hallmark of the 2018 vintage wines… So integrated. The palate has a very silky texture, so plush and polished with a wealth of rich and intense dark-plum, dark-berry and blackcurrant flavors. The oak is completely soaked with ripe, fresh fruit. This is a great Bin 389. Drink over the next two decades. — July 2020
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| Elsewhere: $85.00 |
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$79.97 / bottle
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The 2023
Just in, and too new for critic scores. The vintage before it, the 2022 Bin 389, was Wine Spectator’s No. 12 wine of 2024 with 94 points.
| Elsewhere: $99.98 |
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$79.97 / bottle
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Bin 407 · Cabernet Sauvignon
Penfolds Bin 407: 2019 and 2018
Penfolds’ Cabernet Sauvignon, blended from vineyards across South Australia.
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Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
South Australia · Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2019 draws on Padthaway, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. Decanter scored it 98, and the 2018 96.
The 2019
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98
Decanter
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94
James Halliday
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93
Wine Spectator
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93
James Suckling
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93
Vinous
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Decanter
98 Points
Cabernet Sauvignon has provided a high point in Penfolds tastings through recent years, and this beauty seduces from the first whiff. Showing note-perfect varietal aromas, with a breeze of ripe purple fruit over fresh, leafy herbs and rich red earth, the perfume is full and persistent. The entry is sharp and arresting, with fruit purity on point and channeled down the right corridors by supple tannins and a clean acid seam. It shows exemplary balance through to the long finish. — David Sly, June 2021
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| Elsewhere: $95.00 |
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$79.97 / bottle
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The 2018
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96
Decanter
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94
James Suckling
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92
Wine Advocate
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Decanter
96 Points
The complete Cabernet chorus sings its way out of the glass, fruit, leaf and flower, all in perfect harmony. Rich from the outset, it draws together a full body with grace and elegance, while fine tannins sustain the velvet plushness that rolls through. You’re left with complex aftertaste that provides exactly what the nose suggests. The circle is complete. An inspiring wine.
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| Elsewhere: $168.00 |
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$69.97 / bottle
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RWT Bin 798 · Barossa Shiraz
2018 Penfolds RWT Bin 798 Shiraz
Barossa Valley Shiraz, aged only in French oak.
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2018 Penfolds RWT Bin 798
Barossa Valley · Shiraz
RWT stands for Red Winemaking Trial, a line that began with the 1997 vintage. It comes only from the Barossa Valley and ages exclusively in French oak, which sets it apart from the rest of the Penfolds range.
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98
Wine Advocate
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96
James Suckling
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96
Decanter
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95
Wine Spectator
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95
Vinous
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Wine Advocate
98 Points
Always a sexy, voluptuous wine (and admittedly a personal favorite), the 2018 RWT Shiraz ratchets that up to new heights in a great Barossa vintage, boasting layers of berry-like fruit, refined vanilla shadings and baking-spice notes, plus more exotic elements like star anise and cocoa powder. It’s full-bodied and plush without being unstructured in any way, with a lingering, complex finish and the concentration to age two decades or more. — Joe Czerwinski
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| Elsewhere: $208.00 |
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$149.97 / bottle
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Grange · Penfolds’ Flagship
Penfolds Grange: 2018 and 2020
A 100-point 2018, and a 2020 James Suckling calls one of the most refined in a long time.
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Penfolds Grange Shiraz
South Australia · Shiraz
Grange is Penfolds’ flagship Shiraz, aged in new American oak hogsheads: 18 months for the 2018 and 20 months for the 2020.
The 2018
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100
James Suckling
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100
Wine Independent
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99
Wine Advocate
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98
Vinous
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98
Wine Enthusiast
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98
Wine Spectator
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The Wine Independent
100 Points
It was aged for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads… The assertive, full-bodied palate is taut and muscular, featuring very firm, super tight-knit tannins and seamless acidity, finishing long, long, long. Undoubtedly one of the great modern era Granges… — Lisa Perrotti-Brown, July 2022
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| Elsewhere: $1,000.00 |
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$899.97 / bottle
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The 2020
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97
James Suckling
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97
Wine Enthusiast
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96
Wine Independent
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96
Wine Spectator
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95
Wine Advocate
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95
Vinous
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James Suckling
97 Points
Blackberry, blueberry, graphite and terra cotta aromas. Medium-bodied with clarity, focus and very fine tannins that are polished and caressing. One of the most refined and textural Granges I have had in a long time. The tannins are very resolved… Very drinkable now, but will age beautifully. — May 2024
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| Elsewhere: $850.00 |
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$724.97 / bottle
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The California Collection
Penfolds, Made With Napa Valley Cabernet
Bin 704 and Quantum Bin 98, the Penfolds wines built on Napa Valley Cabernet, alongside the Bin 600 above.
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Bin 704 · Napa Valley Cabernet
Penfolds Bin 704: 2018 and 2021
Chief winemaker Peter Gago calls it “the hemispherical inverse of Bin 407.”
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Penfolds Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley · Cabernet Sauvignon
Bin 704 is Penfolds’ Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, first made with the 2018 vintage.
The 2018
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96
Wine Enthusiast
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95
James Suckling
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95
James Halliday
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Wine Enthusiast
96 Points
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. — Virginie Boone, February 2021
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| Elsewhere: $135.00 |
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$94.97 / bottle
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$89.97 / btl at 6+ save $30.00
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$85.97 / btl at 12+ save $108.00
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| Case pricing applies automatically at checkout. No code needed. |
The 2021
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95
James Suckling
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94
Vinous
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93
Decanter
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Vinous
94 Points
This 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 704 is composed and understated at this early stage. Cocoa bean and cedar support gravelly, dark earthy tones. A strong fist of flavor shows intent, its composure impressive again, and unwinding over a lengthy, fine finish assisted by ample tannins. Very young but well formed and built to last. — Angus Hughson, August 2024
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| Elsewhere: $99.98 |
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$72.97 / bottle
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Quantum Bin 98 · “Wine of the World”
2018 Penfolds Quantum Bin 98
Napa Valley Cabernet with about one-fifth South Australian fruit.
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2018 Penfolds Quantum Bin 98
Napa Valley & South Australia · Cabernet Sauvignon
Quantum blends Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, mostly from Oakville and Diamond Mountain, with about one-fifth South Australian fruit. The 2018 was its first release, aged 16 months in new oak.
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98
James Suckling
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97+
Wine Advocate
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96
Decanter
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95
Wine Enthusiast
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James Suckling
98 Points
What sticks with you about this global blend of Napa and Southern Australian wine is the intense and transparent purple and blue fruit. Lots of blackberry and blueberry aromas with some stones and flowers, such as violets. It’s a very layered and intense wine with very refined, creamy and chewy tannins. Full and very impressive. Very Penfolds. Mouth-filling texture. — January 2021
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| Elsewhere: $900.00 |
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$599.99 / bottle
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The Bottom Line
The red that stole our Thanksgiving table, eight years on.
Christine picked it, and it stood apart from everything else we poured. The 2018 Bin 600 grows from Penfolds’ own Kalimna and Magill Estate cuttings, and it carries American oak with the same polish as Silver Oak, Monte Bello, Castillo Ygay and Grange.
We have 60 bottles left at $64.97, or $59.97 each by the six. Pour it with the turkey, or anytime.
Cheers,
— James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Take Your Pick
• Only 60 Bottles of Bin 600 Left
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