Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay 2020

I found the oak on this one a little heavy, the flint into butterscotch/caramel, fresh/crisp citrus, and white peach, that nougat aspect, a barrel smokiness. There’s weight to the palate, power, and satisfying but not extraordinary length. There’s a tautness here; you’d imagine that it will score higher as it unfurls.

Sourced from Tasmania, Piccadilly, and Henty, this wine spent 8 months in French oak barriques, 41% new. 2020 has certainly been castigated by critics as a lesser vintage and, while it is hard to argue against that, there are enough regions to produce some top-notch fruit somewhere. Blending regions can help to overcome any perceived vintage deficiencies.

Some depth of gold/yellow in the colour. The aromas include gentle nutty notes, a hint of oak, and of struck match. Nicely balanced and moves towards appealing stone fruit characters – peaches. Tropical notes also emerge on the finish – mango and banana. A fresh style with some very early complexity and a pleasing flick of acidity. Decent length. Exceeds expectations, given the vintage.