Cellar Stocker: Cult Wines Beyond Napa Edition Continues…

This is a RARE sight!

We interrupt the flow of who’s who cult CA names program with a visitor from Down Under.

One of the first-ever “Californiaustralian” collaborations from the legendary Penfolds… It’s 100% pure Cab but with an unusual twist, 85.1% being California fruit and 14.9% from South Australia! It is Penfolds ‘Wine of the World’ after all, who else can do something that brave and joyfully nuts?!

And it CRUSHES expectations. It boasts a stack of scores from the pros ranging from 95-97 Points. Described as a “grand spectacle with monumental presence and impressive line and length” by James Halliday. It’s “full-bodied, rich and decadently played” according to Wine Advocate.

And we were blown away by the sheer power and class at our recent tasting. There’s more than enough to soak in from the pro reviews below, but unfortunately not more than enough to go around…

First come, first served!

97 Points – James Halliday

“A deep and powerful Cabernet of full purple hue that speaks of the density and magnitude that is Penfolds, intricately interwoven with the sweet fruit lusciousness and ripeness of California. Deep, sweeping strokes of blackcurrant, cassis, black licorice, coal steam and long-lingering satsuma plum all coat the palate. It’s wrapped in a confident wave of Penfolds tannins, firm, fine and instilled with great endurance, framed in dark chocolate and coffee bean oak. A grand spectacle with monumental presence and impressive line and length. The standout of the release, Peter’s favourite, and mine.”

97 Points – James Suckling

“Lots of blackberry, currant, light chocolate and hazelnut. This is rather dense and plush, but shows impressive layers of tannins that have a rough-velvet texture. Juicy and intense fruit. The grapes come from the AVAs of Rutherford, Calistoga, Oakville and then spread across Napa. 14.9% comes from South Australia. A global wine. In the end, it’s nicely toned and curated. Needs three or four years to come together.”

96 Points – Decanter

“A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, combining 85.1% fruit from the Napa Valley (predominantly from Oakville, Rutherford and Calistoga AVAs) and the remainder from several of Penfolds’ South Australian vineyards, moving it beyond the expected Napa Cab expression to instead exert its own unique personality. The Australian component introduces rich, lifted aromas of blueberry and blackberry, and a more opulent fruit presence. It adds freshness and vibrancy to the dense Napa body, resulting in a vivacious, cheery red still bound by firm tannins.”

96 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“These new releases are Penfolds’ foray into Napa Valley, a project I had been hearing about for some time. I recently sat down with Chief Winemaker Peter Gago to taste the new 2018s, virtually of course. These four wines are part of a larger plan that includes the addition of single vineyard bottlings in the future. Penfolds is no stranger to the United States. For a period of time starting in the late 1980s Penfolds was a part-owner of Geyser Peak. In 1997, Penfolds acquired land outside Paso Robles and subsequently planted vineyards in 1998 and 1999. For this range, Penfolds sources fruit mostly from a collection of top Napa Valley vineyards that are controlled by parent company Treasure Wine Estates, which includes a number of stellar sites that supply the Beringer wines. The range is essentially split in two. The Bin 600 is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a healthy dollop of Syrah (Shiraz), from sites in Napa Valley, Sonoma and Paso Robles, while the Bin 704 is pure Napa Valley Cabernet. Both are mid-tier offerings. At the higher end, the Bin 704 is a Napa Valley and South Australia Cabernet, while the Bin 98 is Napa Valley Cabernet blended with a touch of South Australia Shiraz. The wines are made by Penfolds Senior Winemaker Stephanie Dutton and Winemaker Andrew Baldwin at various Treasury facilities. Gago told me he thought the wines would be viewed as controversial. That seems a bit exaggerated. Although not originally contemplated, the blending of South Australia and Napa Valley wines in the top bottlings feels like a pretty natural thing for an innovative winery to want to try. Moreover, there are enough examples to know that Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (or Shiraz) can work well together. Ultimately, the wines speak for themselves. Stylistically, the 2018s are rich and opulent, but not overdone. Given Penfolds’ global distribution, these wines have the potential to put Napa Valley on the map for a whole new group of consumers, and that is a huge win-win for all involved.The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 149 is a blend of fruit from Rutherford, Calistoga and Oakville plus 15% South Australia Cabernet. Inky, deep and unctuous, the 2018 is a total knock-out. Although quite opulent and rich in feel, the 2018 also has tons of backing structure to balance things out. All the elements come together effortlessly. It was aged in 100% new oak, 80% French and 20% American. Drink 2026-2038.”

95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“A good portion, 85.1%, of this “Wine of the World” comes from America. In fact, the American component all comes from Napa. “There are some great vineyards going in here,” Peter Gago informed me. “We are buying some fruit for this, but most of it comes off our own vineyards.” By “own vineyards,” Gago refers to the considerable land holdings of Treasury Wine Estates, which now owns such iconic Napa names such as Beringer, Sterling Vineyards and Stags’ Leap Winery. The major component of this component, 28%, comes from Rutherford, with the other components “cherry picked” from across the Napa region. So, that is the American wine part of this wine. The remaining 14.9% of this wine is from Australia—A1 grade Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia, to be precise. Then the wine was fermented in barrel, like Grange, using 80% American oak and 20% French oak, 100% new. It was matured in the oak for 16 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 149 slips gracefully out of the glass with notions of wild blueberries, blackcurrant cordial and mulberries with an undercurrent of Indian spices, sandalwood, cigar box and dusty soil plus a touch of garrigue. Full-bodied, rich and decadently played in the mouth, it has firm, rounded tannins and bold freshness supporting the voluptuous layers, finishing long and spicy. The adaption of some of the Grange “formula” (for want of a better term) of winemaking seems to lend more of an Australian style to this wine, although there is no mistaking the Napa Cabernet fruit profile in all but the texture of the tannins, which are more typical of Australia. It’s a true chimera! Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 149 slips gracefully out of the glass with notions of wild blueberries, blackcurrant cordial and mulberries with an undercurrent of Indian spices, sandalwood, cigar box and dusty soil plus a touch of garrigue. Full-bodied, rich and decadently played in the mouth, it has firm, rounded tannins and bold freshness supporting the voluptuous layers, finishing long and spicy. The adaption of some of the Grange “formula” (for want of a better term) of winemaking seems to lend more of an Australian style to this wine, although there is no mistaking the Napa Cabernet fruit profile in all but the texture of the tannins, which are more typical of Australia. It’s a true chimera! Drink 2023-2039.”