2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Quantum Bin 98

These new releases are Penfolds' foray into Napa Valley, a project I had been hearing about for some time. I recently sat down with Chief Winemaker Peter Gago to taste the new 2018s, virtually of course. These four wines are part of a larger plan that includes the addition of single vineyard bottlings in the future. Penfolds is no stranger to the United States. For a period of time starting in the late 1980s Penfolds was a part-owner of Geyser Peak. In 1997, Penfolds acquired land outside Paso Robles and subsequently planted vineyards in 1998 and 1999.

For this range, Penfolds sources fruit mostly from a collection of top Napa Valley vineyards that are controlled by parent company Treasure Wine Estates, which includes a number of stellar sites that supply the Beringer wines. The range is essentially split in two. The Bin 600 is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a healthy dollop of Syrah (Shiraz), from sites in Napa Valley, Sonoma and Paso Robles, while the Bin 704 is pure Napa Valley Cabernet. Both are mid-tier offerings. At the higher end, the Bin 704 is a Napa Valley and South Australia Cabernet, while the Bin 98 is Napa Valley Cabernet blended with a touch of South Australia Shiraz. The wines are made by Penfolds Senior Winemaker Stephanie Dutton and Winemaker Andrew Baldwin at various Treasury facilities

Gago told me he thought the wines would be viewed as controversial. That seems a bit exaggerated. Although not originally contemplated, the blending of South Australia and Napa Valley wines in the top bottlings feels like a pretty natural thing for an innovative winery to want to try. Moreover, there are enough examples to know that Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (or Shiraz) can work well together. Ultimately, the wines speak for themselves. Stylistically, the 2018s are rich and opulent, but not overdone. Given Penfolds' global distribution, these wines have the potential to put Napa Valley on the map for a whole new group of consumers, and that is a huge win-win for all involved.