Bin 311 Chardonnay 2021
Penfolds
Bin 311 Chardonnay 2021
Overview
Overview
Bin 311 Chardonnay truly reflects the winemakers’ mantra of going where the fruit grows best and where it best suits style. From the 2017 release of Bin 311, fruit sourcing moved to multi-regional cool-climate regions. In true Bin 311 style, not unlike Yattarna, it exhibits lemon/lime aromas and a mineral acid backbone, complemented by barrel fermentation and maturation in mostly seasoned oak. Minimal filtration is employed, preserving elegant fruit flavours.
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Multi-Region Blend |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
| Alc/Vol | 12.5% |
| Peak Drinking | Now – 2027 |
Awards and Accolades
Awards and Accolades
| Gold | 2022 Royal Queensland Wine Show |
| Gold | 2022 Sydney Wine Show |
| 95 Points | Andrew Caillard MW |
| 95 Points | Tony Love |
| 94 Points | Jeni Port |
| 94 Points | David Sly, Decanter Magazine |
| 94 Points | Tyson Stelzer |
| Bronze | 2022 International Wine and Spirit Competition |
Andrew Caillard | The Vintage Journal
"Pale colour. Very expressive lime, grapefruit aromas with flinty, tonic water notes. Generously flavoured palate with plentiful lime squash, grapefruit notes, fine slinky textures, lovely mid-palate creaminess, underlying toasty complexity and long fresh quartz-like acidity. Superb mineral length. Very much in the idiom of a Premier Cru. Delicious drinking. 66% of the blend is aged for nine months in new (38%) and seasoned one-year-old (28%) oak. Drink now to 2028. 12.5% alc"
Tony Love | Winepilot
"The more accessible of Penfolds’ three chardonnay iterations, and not just in terms of price. This latest vintage has a greater proportion of Adelaide Hills fruit than in the past few years, and immediately strikes one as a wine with more complexity and impetus than previous 311s. The nose leans towards a richer chardonnay sense, with impressions of yellow and green citrus fruits, the faintest of flintiness and even a suggestion of creaminess. Flavours go straight to white nectarine with a delicate tang of yellow grapefruit flesh, acidity reverbing with pithy mouthfeels. Penfolds insiders refer to this wine as “Baby Yattarna” which suggests wine quality as well as great value. 95 points."
Food Pairing
Food Pairing
Beef
Chicken
Fish
Pork
Cheese
Pasta
Veg
Taste Description
Taste Description
Nose
A wine living up to its moniker “baby Yattarna”, indeed the similarities are quite striking. Subtle hints of struck match; a distinctive flintiness that is a hallmark of modern Penfolds chardonnays. Cool-climate aromatics abound: white nectarine, grapefruit, light florals (frangipani, apple blossom?) and nashi pears. Fermentation and maturation in quality French oak barriques introduces intriguing spices, toasted almond/nougat, almond croissant and brioche. French oak plays a crucial role by complementing the fruit, provides texture and barrel ferment characters, but in no way is overtly dominating. An exhilarating synergy.
Flavours and Palate
Citrus flavours to the fore: juicy grapefruit segments dusted in sugar. Lemon zest grated over Lisbon lemon curd.
The mid-palate is creamy and very textural. Cashew and nougat lurk in the background.
The finish is as taught as a bow, with a zippy, mineral line of acid and a lovely mouthwatering phenolic grip.
Fantastic to drink now but promises to develop even greater complexity with further careful maturation.
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Vintage Conditions
The 2021 vintage was a welcome return to normal yields and weather patterns in the Adelaide Hills after two vintages affected by extreme conditions. All three regions enjoyed good winter rainfall and warm conditions in spring. Conditions for flowering were ideal, ensuring good fruit-set. Summer was mild, with only nine days over 35°C recorded in the Adelaide Hills, while Tasmania’s White Hills vineyard had a peak of only 32.4°C. Intermittent rain in January and early February had the vines in optimal condition for the final stages of ripening. Cool conditions prevailed over harvest, allowing long hang-time and excellent varietal flavour development.
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.