Canterbury Wines Phone 0398305278 or 0403020439 www.canterburywines.net
MAGNUMS2004 PENFOLDS BIN 60A CABERNET SHIRAZ (1500ml) !! $1895.00
REGION: COONAWARRA & BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
"The original 1962 Bin 60A is unofficially recognised as the best red wine made in Australia and was the only non-French wine to make the top ten list of Decanter Magazine's Wines to try before you die:
1. 1945 Mouton Rothschild
2. 1921 Chateau D'Yquem
3. 1961 Chateau Latour
4. 1959 Domaine Romanee Conti Richebourg
5. 1978 Domaine Romanee Conti La Tache
6. 1947 Huet SA, Le Haut Lieu, Moelleux, Vouvray
7. 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Kalimna Shiraz
8. 1982 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande
9. 1978 Domaine Romanee Conti Montrachet
10. 1990 Jean-Louis Chave, Cuvee Cathelin, Hermitage
John Bird, who was on the winemaking team when the original Bin 60A was made, said this one is "'bloody close to the mark," adding that "the original ... looked very similar at this stage."
On only using the 60A moniker for the second time, former Penfolds senior winemaker John Bird says, "the 1962 looked very similar (to the 2004) at this stage."
"Very closed and withdrawn, but slowly unfolds deep, heady aromas of brambly small berries, cassis, violets, smoke and spice. Firm and broad-shouldered, it’s long, dark and tightly focused, revealing a seamless marriage of deep, brooding black fruits and dusty herbal undertones with drying, chalky tannins and exceptional oak. Superbly balanced and integrated, this brilliant wine actually delivers on the stellar expectations encouraged by its label. When it really opens up, it will be something to behold. And to drink! Drink 2034-2044+." Jeremy Oliver - 98 points
"The Bin 60A is already taking on the colours and texture of a sumptuous tapestry: to try and describe the myriad individual parts is to miss the point. Perfectly structured and balanced, this is a very great wine." James Halliday
"The 1,000-case cuvee of 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz Bin 60A is a special wine. Along with intense blueberry, camphor, and graphite characteristics, it reveals incredible concentration, great density, an unctuous texture, fresh acidity, and fabulous purity as well as length. It should drink well for 30+ years. I don’t suggest this aging potential lightly, having recently had a bottle of the 1962 Bin 60A Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz (the last vintage this wine was produced) which I rated 96 points. It was still an extraordinarily complex wine that was reminiscent of a great 1947 or 1949 right bank Bordeaux. Seemingly the 2004 has every bit as much potential as the 1962." Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate - 96 points
"...I have tasted the 2004 and it is - even at such a young age - already exquisitely balanced, with a luscious concentration of black fruits but also a disarming elegance." Max Allen, The Weekend Australian Magazine
"None of Penfolds' attempts to duplicate the depth and subtlety of the 1962 Bin 60A have come close, although the 1990 is developing nicely in the bottle. Blending Shiraz with Cabernet has worked well in Australia, inspiring such outstanding wines as Wolf Blass Black Label and Majella's The Malleea, but only a few reach the 90-plus level. The new Bin 60A gets close to classic, using a blend of 56 percent Barossa Shiraz from the Kalimna and Koonunga Hill vineyards with 44 percent Cabernet from Penfolds' Block 20 in Coonawarra.
Here's my blind tasting note: 'Rich in flavor and supple in texture, a seamless stream of toasty blackberry, bay leaf, cherry and licorice flavors, wrapped in spicy oak. It has tremendous depth but remains elegant, finishing long and lithe." Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator - 94 points [90-94: Outstanding; a wine of superior character and style]
"Exquisite parcels of Block 20 Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, Koonunga Hill and Kalimna Vineyard Barossa shiraz were identified and separately vinified at Magill and Nuriootpa in open and closed headed down fermenters. Towards dryness, the wine was racked into 100% new oak where the wine completed fermentation. After malolactic fermentation individual components were classified and then selected for inclusion into the 2004 Penfolds Bin 60A blend.
Deep in colour, this youthful elemental wine shows a miraculous overlapping of aromas and flavours. The regional characters of both Coonawarra and the Barossa Valley are finely poised. The highly perfumed chamomile/violet/mocha aromas, immense concentration, savoury flavours and classically structured palate are in superb balance. This beautifully defined cross-regional/varietal with its meaty nuances and fine-grained tannins will continue to evolve in the cellar for decades." Winery Notes
"The 2004 Bin 60A is destined to become one of Penfolds great special Bin releases. The restraint, pure fruit and elegance of 2004 Block 20 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is complimented by the power and richness of the 2004 Kalimna and Koonunga Hill Barossa Shiraz. Barrel fermentation in oak has woven all the fruit and oak elements into a wine of immense generosity, depth and complexity. This classically structured, beautifully balanced wine has all the finesse and integrity to develop and evolve in the cellar for many decades." Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief winemaker
Drink 2015 to 2070.
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