PENFOLDS BIN 407 2019

My first impression of this wine was that it smelled great with a nice whiff of alcohol. The first aromas were of mixed red and black berries with a subtle pine forest note. I opened the wine and started sipping, and after an hour I realized that the wine was sort of “grabbing” me, like it had developed an almost chewy texture. It was getting bigger! It had enough astringency to accompany a colossal crab and Thousand Island salad… and then when paired with the steak and Bearnaise sauce it tasted a little more grapey. I think the tarragon in the sauce did that. I really liked this wine… as you can see I also paired the bottle with my Jane Goodall Barbie because it seemed adventurous and bold. Compared to the silky one-note Heitz Cab (2017) I drank a few nights earlier, this wine was almost meaty and more complex.

I LIKE TO RECORD MY IMPRESSIONS AND THEN COMPARE MY NOTES TO THE REAL EXPERTS!

HERE ARE THE REVIEWS I FOUND ONLINE FOR THIS WINE:

FROM NATALIE MCLEAN AT NATALIEMCLEAN.COM:

A hallway breeze of minty cool rushes out of the glass, then you open the door to fleshy black fruit on the palate and a lovely long finish. Full-bodied, smooth. This is a flagship wine for Australia, from a master producer. Great complexity, balance, structure and depth. It will do well in the cellar, but I challenge you to wait as it’s terrific now! Decant 1-2 hours. Try it tonight with rare filet mignon. Highly recommended.

Producer tasting notes: “COLOUR Deep, lively red NOSE Instantly cabernet, exposed by fragrant violet, lavender, blue fruits and a waft of red apple blossom. And yet there’s much more with scented illuminations of: Baked delights – Danish pastry/croissant and rye bread crust. A Mediterranean ratatouille – laced with thyme, oregano and pulped olive. Chamois, new-buck leather. Cedar – yet any oak presence certainly respectful of fruit. PALATE Medium-bodied. The complete package: Fruit: Juicy redcurrant jelly, dark plum (and plum acidity), fresh rhubarb. Acidity: ‘Just right’ – a lively and lifted conveyance from initial lip-contact to sated ingestion. Tannins: Integrated, polished-graphite tannins Oak: Seamlessly hidden/concealed oak. Melding well with fruit. Overall, cabernet balance and definition, sans exaggeration.” – Penfolds