Penfolds, Quantum Bin 98 Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia and California, 2018

Overview of the Wine
Penfolds has been producing remarkable wines since 1844 and indisputably led the development of Australian fine wine in the modern era. The introduction of Penfolds Grange in 1951 forever changed the landscape of Australian fine wine. Since then a series of stand-out wines both white and red have been released under the Penfolds masthead.

Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker and only the 4th custodian of Grange, relishes the opportunity to bring Penfolds to the world stage and is an enthusiastic ambassador and natural educator. Penfolds came to the attention of the US market when 1990 Grange was Wine Spectator’s ‘Wine of the Year’. Since then, Penfolds Grange has become one of the most collectable wines of the world and was honored to grace the front cover, once again, of Wine Spectator, with declarations of Grange as Australia’s Icon.

Grape / Blend
87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Shiraz

Origin
87% Oakville Diamond Mountain District, 13% South Australia

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Rich malt, bone marrow, and a complex spectrum of dark berries make up the aromatic core. These slowly fuse with notes of blackberry, blueberry, and boysenberry complemented by sugared pastry, cinnamon apple, and piquant punches of mild horseradish cream and Dijon mustard.

A blue-berried wash and glistening film cover the palate with a viscous, supple texture and succulent acidity. Flavors of graphite and hazelnut provide an exotic intrigue, with a whisper of sweetness that grows over time with air.

100 Points - The Somm Journal
Muscle and grace delineate a wine that is making history in the footsteps of its forebear, Grange. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (87%) and South Australian Shiraz (13%) are the building blocks of this multidimensional creation ten years in the making. Balanced and expressive, with recognizable accents of both the Southern and Northern hemispheres, it offers aromas of fresh dark berries, apple tart, and a touch of piquant spice, which lead to headier notes on the palate. Licorice, slate, and molasses pave a path with staying power. Plum preserves and a twist of basil, cigar leaf, and hazelnut determine the lengthy, exhilarating finish

98 Points - James Suckling
What sticks with you about this global blend of Napa and Southern Australian wine is the intense and transparent purple and blue fruit. Lots of blackberry and blueberry aromas with some stones and flowers, such as violets. It’s a very layered and intense wine with very refined, creamy and chewy tannins. Full and very impressive. Very Penfolds. Mouth-filling texture. It’s made mostly from Napa grapes and predominantly from Oakville and Diamond Mountain. About one-fifth is from South Australia. Aged in 80% new American oak and 20% new French. Try after 2026.

97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The first release of this new iconoclastic label, the 2018 Quantum Bin 98 is labeled as a "Wine of the World," although the AVA is the United States and technically 87% is American wine (Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley), while 13% is Australian ("Grade A1" Shiraz from South Australia). The wine spent 16 months in oak, 100% new, 80% American oak and 20% French. In fact, the wine is made very much like Grange, in that it completes fermentation in new, mainly American oak barrels.

97 Points - Decanter
A Wine of the World is a big statement, and this blend of 87% Napa Valley Cabernet with South Australian Shiraz creates a purposeful bridge between two national styles. The Cabernet is typically Napa (from the Oakville and Diamond Mountain District AVAs): stern and solid, flexing powerful muscle as earth and iodine notes speak much louder than fruit sweetness. The addition of Shiraz (an elite component, considered for Grange inclusion) isn’t obvious, yet its influence is profound, with a hint of ripe plum adding a vivid burst of color to the dark flavor spectrum. The two varieties strike a happy equilibrium on the mid-palate, wrapping generous layers of rich fruit and supple texture into a seamless weave.

95 Points - Wine Enthusiast
The inaugural release of this red combines 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with 13% Shiraz, using grapes from both Napa Valley and South Australia. Dark and brooding, it delivers a smooth, textured palate of bright red fruit and supple, integrated tannins, with meaty undertones along a continuum of black pepper, graphite and leather.

Product size: 750ml