Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra Australia 2010 (14.5% ABV) – 93.3
SF | Burned heath, loamy, soft char, with briary, blackberry and plum duff; one decade down—the first of many. A rich, velvety texture, old-vine harmony lending sweetness at the end of the palate, tannins ablating time's arrow. There is still power here, still sinewy raw potential, firmly rendered, tightly wound; this has more to give... quite a lot more. 92
AR | This is surprisingly youthful in color, just showing a hint of garnet at the rim of the glass, for its age; the sweet, fulfilling aromas, of mint, chocolate, and cassis, have evolved well, remaining fresh and balanced; on tasting, this full-bodied red is now nicely evolved, its vanilla and chocolate oak perfectly integrated into a wine whose youthful vigor is only now just easing into a mature, grown-up phase of development, but there's plenty of enjoyment to come over the next ten years, if you can keep it cooped up for that long. 94
DW | Deeply inviting, mature nose; this is saturated, inky still, and has waves of fruit, but with soft tobacco and cooked fruit amid the fresher red and black currants and berries; a really lush feel, with refined tannins and just the beginnings of a wispy smokiness coming through on the complex finish. Extremely satisfying, rich, classically Australian Cabernet. 94