Barry Weinman: Tasted 25th June 2026
Penfolds’ expansion into California represents one of the boldest international projects undertaken by an Australian wine company. Rather than simply producing Californian wines, Penfolds has sought to express its distinctive House Style through Californian vineyards, drawing on relationships and vineyard holdings developed over several decades. The resulting collection—featuring wines such as Bin 704, Bin 600, Bin 149 and Quantum—combines Californian fruit with Penfolds’ centuries of winemaking experience. While initially met with curiosity, the Californian program has matured into a serious and credible extension of the Penfolds portfolio, reinforcing the winery’s long-held belief that great wine should be defined by quality and style rather than constrained by geography.
An interesting aspect of Penfolds’ Californian journey is that it does not operate in isolation. Through its parent company, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), Penfolds sits alongside some of California’s most historic and prestigious wineries, including Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyard (BV), Stags’ Leap Winery, Etude, Frank Family Vineyards and, more recently, DAOU.
That said, since 1998, Penfolds has planted 210 acres of vines on their Camatta Hills Estate in Paso Robles which was formerly Creston “600” Ranch, with cuttings from both Magill Estate and the Kalimna vineyard being used in the planting. The Bin 600 draws its name from this estate.
Perhaps the most significant benefit for wine lovers is that the relationship gives Penfolds unparalleled access to premium Californian fruit and winemaking resources. The result has been the emergence of wines such as Bin 704, Bin 149 and Quantum: wines that marry the structure, generosity and pedigree of Napa Valley with the unmistakable DNA of Penfolds.
*This was not a blind wine tasting, and it was hosted by Peter Gago. As a result, points should be considered as indicative.
Reviewed
Penfolds – Bin 600 – Cabernet/Shiraz – 2023. This is very structural. The fruit quality is outstanding, but this has been wound right back compared to the Australian wines. But this is no criticism. The mouthfeel and presence of the wine have quality stamped all over it. This is remarkable for its great drinkability. If you look closely, you can see the cabernet and shiraz fruit characters coming though. A lovely wine. 73% Cabernet. 16 months in American oak barriques, 45% new. 14.5% alc | 95pts | $90.00.
Penfolds – Bin 704 – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2023. Wow. This is very good. But in comparison to the 600, the structural components take on a much greater role and will also support cellar aging. Underneath the structural components, the ripe blueberry-infused fruit slowly builds and takes on a distinct character in the Penfolds line-up. A wonderful wine, but again, this is a wine for the long haul. If you can stash a bottle or two away for 20+ years, you will be amply rewarded.
Bin 704 is the inverse of Bin 407 and reflects that it sits at the same level in the USA range as the 407 does in the Australian range. The fruit is 100% Napa and draws on the parent company’s vineyard resources, supplemented by grower fruit. The wine spent 16 months in French oak barriques, 45% new. 14.5% alc | 96pts* | $125.00.
Penfolds – Bin 149 – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2023. The fruit here is quite extraordinary, as is the very fine, texturing tannins. Brilliant. At this very early stage, these characters are under tension, with the tannins and fruit playing something of a tug-of-war on the palate. Yet remarkably, this never gets aggressive or hard. It will be so good with food now, and even better with a decade in the cellar. 96pts seems a bit low.
Fruit for this wine is primarily drawn from Napa, with a proportion of South Australian cabernet included in the blend. The moniker 149 refers to the 14.9% of Australian wine that was added to the first release in 2018. Like 707 and Grange, this gets 100% new oak, in this case 78% French and 22% American oak barriques. 14.5% alc | 96+pts* | $275.00.
