The rich and powerful Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Penfolds first commercial release of a single cabernet-based wine, is linked to Max Schubert s dream of making a great Australian red wine that could last at least 20 years.

When Penfolds purchased the 1888-planted Kalimna Vineyard, including the prized Block 42 plantings of cabernet sauvignon, the varietal was still quite rare in Australia. Schubert had originally thought the Kalimna Vineyard might be a source for Grange, but early crops proved unreliable.

During the 50s and early 60s cabernet sauvignon was mostly used for blending, but Schubert s breakthrough with the varietal as a stand-alone wine came in 1964, at a time when Penfolds was expanding its red table wine portfolio.

Early Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignons were typically open fermented under wax-lined header boards and matured in seasoned old oak (rather than new oak). While these early wines were well received by trade and media, a disappointing 1969 vintage led Penfolds to discontinue production until it could find reliable and consistent fruit.

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon returned with the 1976 vintage, primarily based on Coonawarra fruit with vital input from the Barossa Valley. Since then the winemaking blueprint for Bin 707 has been almost identical to Grange, including partial barrel fermentation and 18 months maturation in new American hogsheads. Within a few years of its relaunch, Bin 707 was considered by collectors as a benchmark Australian cabernet sauvignon.

Coonawarra and Barossa Valley, particularly the Kalimna and Koonunga Hill vineyards, have been at the heart of the Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon since the 1970s. Today, the cool-climate Robe, Padthaway and Wrattonbully vineyards in South-East South Australia are additional sources.

Winemaking is very similar to Grange and as a consequence the style relies on the riper spectrum of cabernet sauvignon flavours and tannins. In colder growing seasons, when it is difficult to reach optimum ripeness, the wine is not released. These strict selection principles ensure continuity of the Bin 707 style and quality across all released vintages.

Cabernet sauvignon meets

Max Schubert s original Grange

blueprint. PETER GAGO,

Chief Winemaker

Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon is linked to a 19th-century heritage, the opening up of Coonawarra, the sourcing of fruit from new cool-climate regions in South Australia and the development of Grange. Although each vintage will develop in different ways, reflecting the growing season and winemaking decisions of the time, most have the capacity to age for 30 years or more.

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