Reviewed by Erin LarkinIssue Date21st Jul 2022SourceJuly 2022 Week 3, The Wine Advocate
Made only in appropriate vintages, and always from Coonwarra, the 2019 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is aromatically reticent at this stage, however the power of the fruit in the mouth in unassailable. It blossoms on the back palate and shows pedigree and impressive stature. This is a supremely elegant wine of poise and detail, couched in a framework of power and dense muscly tannin. We all have our preferences between Bin 707 and Bin 169, but for me, my heart has always been with the 169. I think Cabernet deserves an elegant casing, and that is made from French oak (17 months in French oak, 56% new, to be precise). This is pure, but far too young right now. We know this has decades of graceful development ahead of it.
PENFOLDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON COONAWARRA BIN 169 2019
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Country
Australia
Region
South Australia
Vintage
2019
Score
97
Such impressive freshness to the aromas of pure mulberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, redcurrants and a swathe of roasting herbs, such as bay leaf and sage. Iodine and nori, too. The French oak is nicely subsumed already and there’s fruit purity that really sings here. The palate has a wealth of rich and ripe blue and black-fruit flavors with plenty of extract and depth on offer. This is an impressively bold, smoothly honed and focused cabernet. Fine, polished tannins frame the long finish. Drink over the next decade and more.
Penfolds is Australia's oldest and most iconic winery with a history and legacy that reflects the country's journey from colonial settlement to the modern era. The winery was founded in 1844 by Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold who emigrated with his wife from England to South Australia to plant his vines obtained from France on the Magill Estate. The reason for this was not to make Australia's best wine, but to find a cure for anaemia. Christopher believed in the medicinal properties of wine and used it in his family practice that grew in reputation.
The Australian wine industry, including Penfolds, changed dramatically with the arrival of winemaker Max Schubert who created world famous Grange and Bin wines. In 1988 Max Schubert was named 'Man of the year' by Decanter Magazine and Penfolds Grange 1955 is now listed as a national heritage site. Penfolds has an extraordinary collection of awards and with each generation of winemakers, Max Schubert's remarkable vision is nurtured and enhanced. Today, Peter Gago is the 'Guardian of the Grange' and sets the standard for all Penfolds wines. It was even named 'Most Admired Wine Brand' by Drinks International in early 2019 and in all likelihood many more awards will follow
The Penfolds Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is a single region expression of a classic regional variety, aged in 100% French oak. The 2019 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon has luscious aromas of ripe cassis, accentuated by hints of vanilla, cedar shavings, tobacco and baking spices. It is full, soft and velvety, but with a firm backbone at the core that drives home the long finish and strong varietal identity. Ideally, it needs a few years in the cellar to reach its best potential, with a potential lifespan of two decades or more. The Penfolds Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is distributed via the Placedu Bordeaux where only official registered wine merchants can purchase such as Grand Cru wines. FACT FACT: In the tab: Attachment you will find all kinds of information and photos and of course also the official fact sheet of this 2019 Penfolds Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
KEY FACTS
• Established in 1844, Penfolds is one of Australia's oldest and most respected wineries • Bin 169 is only produced in large volumes • 100% Cabernet Sauvignon • From the best terra rossa blocks with low yield Cabernet Sauvignon - one of the oldest vines in Coonawarra • Coonawarra is home to the best Penfolds vineyards • Coonawarra likes cool weather • Contemporary alternative to Bin 707 • Only produced in great vintages, 2019 is only the fourth vintage produced (1973-2008-2018-2019) • No production in 2020 (shortage coming) • Less than 1,000 boxes produced
Penfolds is Australia's oldest and most iconic winery with a history and legacy that reflects the country's journey from colonial settlement to the modern era. The winery was founded in 1844 by Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold who emigrated with his wife from England to South Australia to plant his French vines on Magill Estate.
The reason for this was not to make Australia's best wine, but to find a cure for anemia. Christopher believed in the medicinal properties of wine and used it in his family practice which grew in reputation.
The Australian wine industry, including Penfolds, changed dramatically with the arrival of winemaker Max Schubert, who invented world-famous Grange and Bin wines. In 1988 Max Schubert was named 'Man of the year' by Decanter Magazine and Penfolds Grange 1955 is now listed as a National Heritage Site. Penfolds has an extraordinary collection of awards and with each generation of winemakers, Max Schubert's remarkable vision is nurtured and enhanced. Today, Peter Gago is the 'Guardian of the Grange' and sets the standard for all Penfolds wines. It was even named a 'Most Admired Wine Brand' by Drinks International at the beginning of 2019 and many more awards are likely to follow
