Bin 600 is intrinsically linked to Penfolds beginnings in California, a narrative that now spans more than twenty years. In 1998, Penfolds imported a heritage selection of vine cuttings from South Australia’s esteemed Kalimna and Magill Estate vineyards, and planted them in Californian soil. The original name of the Camatta Hills vineyard was Creston “600” Ranch, a special place in the Penfolds California timeline for it serves as a reference point to the start of our American journey. Creston Ranch is now honored in the wine’s name, Bin 600. In recognition of Penfolds history within our Californian wine story, grapes from the original 1998 vine cuttings feature in this cabernet shiraz blend. A blend that has been revered and championed by Penfolds in our modern winemaking era.
NOSE:
Spices waft – clove, sage and turmeric are in immediate suspension. Conversation diverts to cold coffee grounds, raw coconut kernel and jasmine tea. Fragrant salsa verde is dissected down to its components: flat leaf parsley, anchovy and basil. Oak provides a platform for these two varietal blending companions, a springboard for the blackberry and quince.
PALATE:
Medium-bodied: as intended. Sweet liquorice, brimming with potent aniseed forms the flavour backbone and contributes to the glycerous texture. Radiating from this backbone is pepper-rubbed pastrami, rare roast beef, cocoa dusting, semi-dried dates and freshly harvested persimmons. An open textural weave – easily identified as shiraz-driven given 175+ years of history with this variety. Familial yet inaugural!
- COLOUR:
- Gleaming crimson, dark core.
- GRAPE VARIETY:
- 78% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 22% Shiraz
- MATURATION: 16 months in American oak (40% new, 60% 1-y.o.)
- Alc/Vol: 14.5%
- Acidity: 6.61 g/L
- pH: 3.83
- ** Only 6 in Stock **
This 2018 Bin 600 is the first release of this new Penfolds California label. It is a blend of two different regions and two different varieties: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and 22% Shiraz from their vineyards in the Camatta Hills area of California Central Coast (about 15 miles east of Paso Robles). The interesting twist to the story behind this wine is that Block 10 in the Camatta Hills vineyard was planted in the late 1990s with Shiraz cuttings from two of Penfolds’s most iconic South Australia vineyards: Magill Estate and Kalimna vineyard. This is the Shiraz component. ”So,” Peter Gago told me, ”this has been a project in the making for a long time. We see this project as a continuation-making wine through a Penfolds lens, but made in California.” Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of stewed plums, black cherry preserves and blueberry pie plus suggestions of kirsch, spice cake, licorice and dried mint. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a nice chewiness to the texture and just enough freshness supporting the black fruit preserves, finishing on a savory note. 12,818 cases were made. - Robert Parker 90 points
