After the 1973 vintage, Max Schubert identified a parcel of Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon he intended to blend with a select component of Kalimna shiraz the idea being that the resulting wine would be similar to the famed Penfolds Bin 60A. But the marriage was ill-fated because Schubert could not garner support from the Penfolds team in Sydney. As a consequence, each parcel was bottled separately, resulting in the release of 1973 Penfolds Bin 169 Coonawarra Claret (cabernet sauvignon) and 1973 Penfolds Bin 170 Kalimna Shiraz.

In 2008, Penfolds decided to add a contemporary regional stablemate to the collection, a partner to the revered multi-regional Bin 707. Sourced from some of the same revered blocks as the 1973 original, it was appropriately given the Bin designation 169.

Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon is a single regional style based on the best low-yielding blocks of terra rossa cabernet sauvignon some of the oldest vinestock material in Coonawarra. The wine combines Penfolds red winemaking tradition with the best fruit expression available. The fruit selection is rigorous and the wine only made in a favourably warm growing season. Partial barrel fermentation and maturation in French oak hogsheads afford a strong Penfolds signature.

A serious Australian cabernet with great intensity of fruit, roundness and vigour. JOSH RAYNOLDS

2008 «««« Drink now to 2030.

Medium-deep crimson. Lovely pure cassis, blackberry and plum aromas with chinotto/slight Negroni notes. Ripe and pure blackcurrant pastille and dark plum flavours, fine-grainy textures, attractive mid-palate richness and viscosity and an underlying meaty/savoury oak complexity. Inky plume at the finish.

Brilliantly clear and aromatic. Effortless, seductive and balanced with pristine dark and red fruit succulence, silky textures and integrated oak. (NB)

Opulently rich with layers of fruit and oak; the tannins falling in line! (JH)

2009 ««« Drink now to 2026.

Medium-deep crimson. Expressive fragrant blackcurrant, sage and mint aromas with dark chocolate and leafy notes. Well-concentrated wine with supple blackcurrant and plum fruits, fine lacy, grainy tannins and savoury oak complexity. Finishes leafy firm with inky graphite notes.

Velvety smooth and supple with exotic dark cherry liqueur, spice floral aromas and integrated tannins. (JR)

More graphite on the nose with a touch of savouriness. Warm and rounded with forward grippy tannins. (FW)

2010 ««««« Drink now to 2032.

Medium-deep crimson. Fresh blackcurrant, herb garden and cedar aromas with lightly roasted walnut notes. Classically inky smooth with cassis and herb garden flavours, lacy-fine graphite tannins and underlying new oak complexity. Finishes grainy firm with dried leaf and cola notes. Should build volume and density with further age.

A very exacting wine with pure blue and black fruits, subtle spice notes and an intricate weave of tannin and oak. Substantial and adolescent but will age very well. (NB)

Utterly seductive wine with superb lustre and polish. Like rubies and mink. (JH)

2011 TO 2012 (Not made)

2013 ««« Drink now to 2030.

Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant and blackberry aromas with mint and slight eucalypt notes. Generously proportioned wine with blackcurrant and blackberry fruits, fresh sapid and almost green tannins, attractive mid-palate richness and some savoury notes. Finishes firm and tight.

A brooding nascent wine with ripe dark fruits, seductive soy, spice notes and plentiful fine powder-dry tannins. Very taut in structure with slight bitterness giving flow and definition. (NB)

Violets, eucalypt, preserved plum and Dutch liquorice. Some camphor laurel and blackcurrant. (NR)

2014 TO 2015 (Not made)

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