Penfolds Quantum Bin 98 is the continuation of a twenty-year endeavor from when Australian vine cuttings were planted in Californian soil. A Wine of the World that encapsulates a bold blending alliance, Quantum reveals a wine that shows wisdom, crafted with conviction but also embedded in the “quality-first” philosophy that underpins Penfolds flagships. The wine serves as the most powerful expression of our blending style and leads the charge in Penfolds ambition to seek out parcels of intense flavor, structural tannins and equal parts grace and complexity. Northern and southern hemispheres bring prized cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley and pedigreed shiraz from South Australia, respectively, into each other’s realm. Not adhering to expectations and de rigueur.
Our California journey started decades ago in the Camatta Hills vineyard, Paso Robles. In the 1980’s, we initiated an ambitious viticultural program in Australia called ‘Heritage Selections’. From our most prized vineyards, winemakers sought to identify single vineyards, blocks and vines that produced the best quality fruit. Cuttings from these exceptional Heritage Selections were then propagated and eventually sent across the world to California.
"What sticks with you about this global blend of Napa and Southern Australian wine is the intense and transparent purple and blue fruit. Lots of blackberry and blueberry aromas with some stones and flowers, such as violets. It’s a very layered and intense wine with very refined, creamy and chewy tannins. Full and very impressive. Very Penfolds. Mouth-filling texture. It’s made mostly from Napa grapes and predominantly from Oakville and Diamond Mountain. About one-fifth is from South Australia. Aged in 80% new American oak and 20% new French. Try after 2026." - James Suckling, February 2021
"The wine is made very much like Grange, in that it completes fermentation in new, mainly American oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a good amount of swirling to unlock slowly emerging scents of chocolate-covered cherries, plum preserves, blueberry compote and cassis with fragrant suggestions of vanilla pod, violets, coconut, crushed rocks, pencil lead and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the generously fruited palate explodes in the mouth with ripe, juicy black and blue fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and a lovely burst of freshness, finishing long and spicy. It is mostly all fruit and American oak at this youthful stage, but I imagine that like Grange, its real appeal comes with bottle age. I would give it at least five years to allow the oak to marry and tertiary nuances to emerge, then drink it over the next 20 years or more. To manage expectations—this doesn't taste like Napa or South Australia. It doesn't even taste like the 2018 vintage here in Napa. It really is its own thing, which I suppose is the point." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, February 2021
"The flagship wine in this range, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Quantum Bin 98 is 87% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% South Australia Shiraz. Blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, espresso, licorice, cloves and gravel infuse the 2018 with tons of character and complexity. Dense and opulent to the core, the Bin 98 possesses tremendous intensity. I would give if a few years in bottle to fully come together." - Antonio Galloni, February 2021
Peter joined the winemaking team in 1989, initially in the craftsmanship of sparkling wines, before moving on to reds as Penfolds Red Wine Maker. In 2002 Peter became the fourth ever Chief Winemaker for Penfolds. Together with his fellow winemakers, Peter’s careful custodianship has ensured that Grange and the other ‘older’ members of the Penfolds family, have continued to set the benchmark for their style and quality, while new additions to the range push the boundaries ever wider.
Alcohol % | 14.5% |
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Enclosure Type | Cork |
Oak Treatment | 16 months in American oak (80% new) and French oak (20% new) |
pH | 3.70 |
Blend | 87% Cabernet Sauvignon,13% Shiraz |
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