Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2019
Penfolds
Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2019
Penfolds
Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2019
Overview
Overview
Reserve Bin A Chardonnay has evolved into a wine that is now a distinctive, single-region style in its own right, with a contemporary and expressive Adelaide Hills chardonnay persona. Fruit is hand-picked into small bins and then whole-bunch pressed. A portion of the juice is incrementally filled to barrel directly from the press and allowed to undergo a natural fermentation, sans inoculation. Every new and seasoned French oak barrique is its own unique 225-litre ferment. Enhanced mouthfeel and complexity is achieved by fermenting and maturing on solids with sensitive, intermittent yeast lees stirring. 100% malolactic fermentation (all natural).
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Adelaide Hills |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
| Alc/Vol | 13% |
| Peak Drinking | Now - 2030 |
| Winemaker | The Penfolds Team |
Awards and Accolades
Awards and Accolades
| 98 Points | James Halliday |
| 97 points | Andrew Caillard MW |
| 97 points | Tyson Stelzer |
| 97 points | Ray Jordan |
| 95 points | Nick Stock - James Suckling |
| 95 points | Jeni Port |
| 94 points | Angus Hughson |
| 93 points | Joe Czerwinski (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) |
| 19+ points | Matthew Jukes |
| 17 points | Jancis Robinson |
Andrew Caillard MW
"Pale gold. Classic flinty, grapefruit, nectarine aromas with underlying vanilla roasted almond notes. Generous in flavour yet tight in structure with pure grapefruit white peach nectarine flavours, creamy textures, savoury complexity and fresh persistent mineral acidity. Finishes long, sweet and crisp with light marzipan notes. Beautiful wine. Wonderful cutting-edge Australian Chardonnay showing superb volume, richness of fruit and tension. An Australian First Growth Chardonnay reflecting superb fruit sourcing and winemaking philosophy. Move over Puligny! – 97 points"
Tyson Stelzer
"The transparency of chardonnay to articulately convey its terroir is remarkable indeed, and this wine tells the intricate story of the Adelaide Hill’s hot summer and mild autumn of 2019. There is a generosity and a determined reservation communicated in aromatic reluctance, ultimately emerging a day after opening, charged with all the tension of cool autumn nights. Maker Kym Schroeter considers 2019 to be up with 2017 as a cracking vintage for good sulphides in the Adelaide Hills. This struck flint reduction that we adore in Bin A wafts gracefully over a core of precise lemon, grapefruit and white peach, leaping forth triumphantly on the front and coasting into a long tail of beautifully poised acidity, backed with masterfully deployed, high-class cashew nut French oak. Another great hit in the grand legacy of Bin A - 97 points."
Food Pairing
Food Pairing
Beef
Chicken
Fish
Pork
Cheese
Pasta
Veg
Taste Description
Taste Description
Nose
Restrained upon first pour. Induce awakening via a sprightly decant, or vigorous swirl.
Primary white peach and assorted stone fruits give way to tempting scents of fresh crème anglaise/pana cotta.
Oak (just) evident, yet impressively integrated (80% new?!)
Wafts of struck-match prancing above; intense, smoky barrel-ferment notes lurking below.
Complexingly challenging – an abundance of character, yet not saturated; aromatically bedazzling, yet not an assault.
Flavours and Palate
Initially, an intriguing subtle (fluffy/pillowy) gentleness! Flavours of mandarin and yoghurt with a rich mid-palate.
A glycerolic viscosity interlocks with the natural acidity inducing a mouth-watering juiciness and just a rasp of flint at the very end, adding length and zest.
So youthful. All evident on the palate would indicate that this wine needs time!
Short-term – catalyse/accelerate via a decant. Or wait.
Adelaide Hills attired alternatively.
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s younger wine regions, but it’s as savvy as its famous Sauv Blanc. With a cool climate and high altitude, its dynamic winemakers are also responsible for top notch Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Vintage Conditions
Rainfall was well below average during the growing season, however good falls in June and August ensured optimal soil moisture levels for budburst. Cold, wet and windy weather prevailed during flowering, which caused poor fruit-set and a significant reduction in the anticipated crop size. Summer was generally hot, with two heatwaves in January mitigated by cooler spells in-between. In contrast to some warmer regions, Adelaide Hills vines were well placed to see off the summer heat spikes with few issues. The growing season finished well, with mild conditions leading into vintage. Chardonnay grapes displayed strong varietal character and retained good natural acidity.
The Penfolds Team
Key to the success of Penfolds has been a lineage of visionary winemakers. There have only ever been four Chief Winemakers at the helm of Penfolds – Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, each a custodian of a rich winemaking tradition that goes back for more than 170 years.
Our current Penfolds winemaking team has more than 100 years between them as Penfolds winemakers. They are constantly refining and improving their work, whilst honouring the winemaking techniques of their predecessors.