Bright and vibrant in the glass with deep, dark aromas of black plum grasped in a tight-fisted blackberry glove. While the body is fashionably lean, the initially tight flavours relax to a plush embrace. More is revealed as the wine opens up in the mouth: sumptuous fruit that remains firm and politely behaved, a chew of tobacco and deliberate oak tannins that bite in the tail.

This is the first vintage of the Australian producer’s foray into Napa Valley. It is tightly structured yet supple, bursting in bright currant and strawberry flavors. Savory components of sage, dried herb and black pepper dot the palate alongside silky tannins and chocolate-laced richness. A fresh touch of blood orange arises on the finish. *Cellar Selection

A beautiful, aromatic wine with blackcurrant, cool fruit and hints of minerals and tar. Full-bodied, yet polished and really well manicured. Long and creamy. Shows tension, energy and refinement.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 704 is rich and effusive, with all of the personality of the vintage on display. Sweet spice, mocha, dark raspberry jam, licorice and leather all take shape in the glass. Medium in body, with bright acids, the 2018 will drink well with minimal cellaring. It is another super attractive wine in this new lineup from Penfolds, but it is also a bit tight and in need of a few years in bottle.

"A hemispherical mirror image of Bin 407," Penfolds's chief winemaker, Peter Gago, said with a smile. It was only then that I got that 704 is 407 backwards. "We are able to access vineyards in Napa that others can't access," he went on to say, referencing Treasury Wine Estates' considerable landholdings in this region. Beringer, Sterling Vineyards, Stags' Leap Winery, Beaulieu Vineyards, etc. "We have sensitively used small amounts from our top vineyards-requested rows in the Burgundian model." Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 704 was aged mainly in French oak, 40% new, for 16 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with vibrant Morello cherries, crushed black and red currants and boysenberries scents, followed by touches of cedar chest, menthol, dried roses and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has an approachable, grainy texture and a lively line lifting the black berry flavors on the bright, pure finish. Among the recently released quartet of USA/Californian wines under the Penfolds banner, this has the clearest sense of identity (other than Penfolds). It is a well-made Napa Cab with its own take on the typical style. 14,171 cases were made.