Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 750ML

Polished from top to bottom, this red boasts fine-grained tannins, offering a generous core of blackberry and cassis flavors that show accents of cured black olive, sandalwood and vanilla-laced cedar, with a whiff of peppermint and dried sage, all harmonious on the long finish. Drink now.

An amalgam of redcurrant and blackcurrant aromas with cedary and leafy tones, dark berries and pepper and plenty of oak strut. The palate has a deep vein of black-fruit flavors, as well as plum and chocolate. Bold extract. A blend of Padthaway, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. Drink now.

While the 2019 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon shows ample concentration and ripe tannins, there's a pervasive herbal note. While some will call it Cabernet's varietal character—and I won't dispute that a bit of pyrazine is indeed endemic to the Cabernet family of grapes—balance is key. To this taster, there's just a bit too much mint and other green stuff for me to go gaga over the 2019 Bin 407. It's still an excellent wine, with plenty of weedy cassis fruit, a ripe, lush feel on the medium to full-bodied palate and a velvety, dark-chocolate finish. Sourced from Padthaway, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley, it spent a year in a combination of French and American hogsheads.