Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
The Penfolds chardonnay wines have been in fine form in recent years. Here it is the Bin 311, hailing from the regional triumvirate of Tasmania, Tumbarumba and the Adelaide Hills, aged in French Oak (34% new) for eight months. Pale straw with green flashes and a tight, lemony aromatic profile with notes of nectarine, lime zest, lemon curd, grilled nuts, crushed stone and minerals, plus a liminal whiff of struck flint. Elegant and pure with a fine framework, racy mineral-laden acid propulsion and a light textural phenolic pressure on the palate. It's an elegant, mineral-driven wine and a damn good one at that.
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James Suckling
Flint. Kumquat, lime zest and stone fruit allusions. Cool climate Tasmania and Tumbarumba fruit. Mid-weighted and tautly furled with a core of fruit sweetness that expands across the filigreed finish. Long! I like this wine. While it is reductive in the contemporary Australian vein, it is far less so than the Penfolds chardonnay style of just a few years ago, with a relaxed glide across the finish. Creamed cashew and praline at its core, conferring generosity. Real juice, thrust and crunch to this. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Bin 311 Chardonnay hails from three regions: Tasmania (38%), Tumbarumba (33%) and the Adelaide Hills (29%). It matured in French oak for eight months (34% new). Crushed salted nuts, white peach and layers of nectarine and green apple populate the palate. It's svelte, polished and classy to a tee. It has the Penfolds phenolic stamp of seamlessness without being glossy or overdone. Lovely wine. Pleasure here! It was a lovely season in all three regions.
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.