x
  • Country ranking ?

    144
  • Producer ranking ?

    93
  • Decanting time

    1h30min
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    Well made grilled salmon

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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Reserve Bin A Chardonnay has established a strong following since it was first released in 1994.  The impressive successes at wine shows, both in Australia and the UK, has contributed to the significant worldwide attention to this hallmark Penfolds style. 

The early vintages included some Tumbarumba fruit and since 2003 it has been released entirely under screwcap.  

Reserve Bin A was not made in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2011.

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The Story

Reserve Bin A Chardonnay has evolved into a wine that is now a distinctive, single-region style in its own right, with acontemporary and expressive Adelaide Hills chardonnay persona.

Origin: Adelaide Hills, South Australia

Variety: Chardonnay 100%

Maturation: Nine months in French oak (40% new)

Penfolds 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 distinctive Adelaide Hills Chardonnay persona.

All fruit is hand-picked into small bins and then whole-bunch pressed. 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 on solids, 100% malolactic fermentation (all natural).

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Wine Information

The Adelaide Hills 2016 growing season commenced under mild and dry conditions. Rainfall was below average throughout winter and dry conditions persisted through spring resulting in early vine growth. Conditions for fruit-set and flowering were favourable and contributed towards above average vintage yields. Rain events during late summer were, for the most part, pre-veraison. 

Cool February conditions meant that ripening was steady and the slightly early start to vintage was a result of a mild and dry growing season. February and March weather allowed for a steady harvest, favourable flavour development and acid retention.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

A huge step up from the Bin 311. Lovely nose, intriguingly complex. Intense, offering noticeable power and yet is delicately poised. Seems to live in two worlds and does so comfortably – not an easy trick. Melon (notably rockmelon) and nuts. Youthful, but stacked with interest and promise. Some finesse on a palate which gently lingers. A terrific and yet refined Chardy. Love the textural aspect. Early days but surely this can only get better.

Score: 95/100

Best drinking: 6 to 8 years.

Alc: 13.5%

  • 95p

Pale colour. Classic white apricot, white peach, grape fruit, grilled nut aromas with flinty quartz-like, oyster shell complexity. Generous and timeless with with apricot, grapefruit, bitter lemon fruits, grilled cashew nut complexity, attractive mid-palate creaminess and vigorous long fresh acidity. Finishes al dente/ chalky with plenty of mineral quartz-like notes. Tight, refined and compact yet fine and persistent. Delicious drinking now but the best is yet to come. Now - 2025

  • 95p
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Information

Origin

Magill, South Australia

Grapes

100% CHardonnay

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