Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
68/25/6% Tasmania/ Piccadilly/Henty fruit. Matured 8 months in 41% new French oak barriques. There is an immediacy and an amicable approachability to this vintage, thanks to mid-palate presence, intricately uniting the white peach, lemon and fig of impeccably ripe fruit with the cashew nut of French oak and the subtle struck-flint reductive allure that signs Penfolds chardonnay. Fine-boned structure characterises a long finish, defined by a glorious sweep of brilliantly illuminated, crystalline acidity that spells out medium-term promise. A great 311.
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James Suckling
Has a very well-made feel with vibrant chardonnay fruit – lemon, peach and nectarine – as well as nicely placed barrel-fermentation complexity. Quite zesty and linear palate with flavors that run from citrus to peach and melon, and there’s good purity throughout. Sourced from Tasmania, Adelaide Hills and Henty.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Quite smoky and toasty, but also richly fruited and citrusy, the 2020 Bin 311 Chardonnay is a lovely example of Australian Chardonnay. Aged eight months in 41% new French oak, this blend from Tasmania (68%), Piccadilly (25%) and Henty (7%) is bold and flavorful, medium-bodied, with a ripe, custardy feel and lingering, citrusy-crisp finish. It's the best value of these three Penfolds Chardonnays, loaded with pineapple and citrus notes and bursting with flavor for a price that's competitive with comparable wines out of California.
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Wine Spectator
Deep, complex and elegant, with a powerful core of poached pear, dried apricot and marmalade, details of toasted hazelnut and green cardamom, and a touch of sea salt on the mouthwatering finish.
Since 1844, Penfolds has been grounded in experimentation, curiosity and uncompromising quality. Their success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers. It began with Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold, the pioneers who dreamed big, inventing tonics, brandies, and fortified wines made from grapes and Australian sunshine. It continued with celebrated winemaking legends including Max Schubert, who pushed the development to extraordinary, bold new heights. It is this pioneering spirit and curiosity that still rings true after nearly two centuries, it is what has helped Penfolds become one of the most celebrated winemakers in the world today.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A large, climatically diverse country with incredibly diverse terrain, producing just about every wine style imaginable, Australia has a grand winemaking history and some of the oldest vines on the planet. Both red wine and white wine from Australian are wildly popular and beloved. Most of Australia's wine regions are concentrated in the south of the country with those inland experiencing warm, dry conditions and those in coastal areas receiving tropical, maritime or Mediterranean weather patterns. Australia has for several decades been at the forefront of winemaking technology and has widely adopted the use of screwcaps, even for some premium and ultra-premium bottles. Thanks to the country’s relatively agreeable climate throughout and the openness of its people, experimentation is common and ongoing.
Shiraz is indeed Australia’s most celebrated and widely planted variety; Barossa Valley leads the way, producing exceptionally bold and supple versions. Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia's second most planted variety, can be blended with Shiraz but also shines on its own particularly in Coonawarra and Margaret River. Grenache and Mourvèdre are also popular, both on their own and alongside Shiraz in Rhône Blends. Chardonnay is common throughout the country and made in a wide range of styles. Sauvignon Blanc has recently surged in popularity to compete with New Zealand’s distinctive version and Semillon is often blended in Margaret River or shines on its own in the Hunter Valley. Riesling thrives in the cool-climate Clare and Eden Valleys. Sticky-sweet fortified wine Rutherglen is a beloved regional specialty of Victoria.