Bin 311 Chardonnay 2022
| 96 Points - Tina Gellie |
| 18/20 Points - Matthew Jukes |
| 95 Points - Dave Brookes |
| 94 Points - Ned Goodwin |
| 94 Points - Jamie Goode |
Tina Gellie
"A third each of Tasmania, Adelaide Hills and Tumbarumba fruit, 'Baby Yattarna' is a belter this vintage, benefiting from a significant portion of wine originally destined for Yattarna and Reserve Bin A. The generosity of the latter's ripe nectarine and pistachio croissant richness grabs you first, but then cleansing acidity, oyster shell tang and bright lemon balm, grapefruit peel and lime juice perkiness take over, meaning your initial impression of opulence ends up as graceful and restrained. 96 Points."
Matthew Jukes
"Clean, bright, and primary with lovely purity and oodles of fleshy peachiness on the front of the palate, Bin 311 tightens up eventually, but not as firmly as it has done in the past. The result is a layered, open, buoyant and forward-drinking wine with more precocity than of late. The oak adds a degree of succulence, giving the impression of a fuller-framed wine, but the fruit maintains a relatively slender framework. Drink now – 2030. 12.5% alc – 18/20 Points"
Dave Brookes
"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. Drink 2023 – 2029. 12.5% alc – 95 Points"
“The stars aligned across Tasmania, Tumbarumba and the Adelaide Hills regions for the 2022 growing season.”
–Kym Schroeter, Penfolds White Winemaker
Pale straw with lime green hues.
An exhilarating chardonnay, living up to the recently acquired moniker “Baby Yattarna”. The benefit of multi-regional blending is evident, with each distinct region bringing nuance to the final blend. Struck flint and steely minerality are a nod to our Tasmanian inclusion. Subtle white stone fruit and cured lemon suggestive of the Adelaide Hills. While lime, lemon and wet stone minerality a reflection of the high-altitude vines of Tumbarumba. A hint of Tahitian lime zest ‘oil’ adds an exotic note, tempered by a lemon curd/ pastry sweetness.
An exemplar of the modern Penfolds chardonnay style. An elegant wine, with lovely cool climate fruit providing ample palate weight. Honeydew melon, white peach, cashew and nougat drive the flavour profile. There is a trademark minerality running through a seam of soft acidity. The phenolics are grippy and textured, melding seamlessly with fine grained French oak. This is a wine punching well above its weight division. Drinking beautifully now but will hold for a decade or more for those who like a more developed expression of the varietal.
Vintage Conditions
Tasmania’s winter rainfall was below average, however a wetter than average October resulted in favourable soil moisture profiles leading into budburst. Warmer summer temperatures prevailed throughout the season. Quality was exceptional in both Penfolds and grower vineyards. La Niña made her presence felt in Tumbarumba, with very heavy downpours of rain before and after flowering. However, dry conditions kicked in afterwards and yields and quality were both excellent. The Adelaide Hills vintage 2022 was celebrated for its long cool ripening. The region enjoyed healthy winter rainfall and a relatively dry September which encouraged good canopy development and even budburst. Spring temperatures were generally cooler than average with October being the coldest in decades. A strong vintage for all three regions.
| GRAPE VARIETY
Chardonnay
|
Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| VINEYARD REGION
Tasmania, Tumbarumba, Adelaide Hills
|
Tasmania, Tumbarumba, Adelaide Hills |
| wine analysis
Alc/Vol: 12.5%, pH: 3.09, Acidity: 6.5g/L
|
Alc/Vol: 12.5%, pH: 3.09, Acidity: 6.5g/L |
| MATURATION
Eight months in French oak barriques (34% new)
|
Eight months in French oak barriques (34% new) |
The Bin 311 Story
Bin 311 was first vintaged in 2005. True to House Style, Bin 311 Chardonnay takes advantage of the classification system and flow down of high-grade fruit, including material initially earmarked for Yattarna Chardonnay. Although primarily based on Tumbarumba fruit until recent years, the style is not based on terroir, but on a high altitude/low latitude cool-climate fruit profile.
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