James Suckling 92
Some assertive toasty oak, almost candied nuts and toffee-like notes layered across bright spiced pear and peach fruits. The palate has a smooth sleeve of rich lemon, grapefruit, pear and green melon fruit, slippery glossy textural appeal and good depth.

Decanter 92
All the fruit in this Bin 311 comes from the cool climate and high-altitude Tumburumba region, which saw one of the warmest growing seasons on record in 2016. On the nose there is a hint of struck-match and flinty mineral notes. In the mouth it shows crisp acidity and tension as well as bruised apple, melon and citrus fruit with a savoury, leesy complexity (from batonnage in seasoned French oak barriques). This is lean and fresh but not in any way mean or skinny.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 90
Penfolds cool climate Chardonnay offering, the 2016 Chardonnay Bin 311, has fresh white peach, lemon curd and Golden Delicious apple with hints of honeysuckle and lightly browned toast. Light to medium-bodied, it has a lively line of acid lifting the pure stone fruit and apple flavors, finishing on a mineral note.

Wine Enthusiast 90
Tumbarumba is the coolest wine growing region in New South Wales, thanks to altitudes ranging from nearly 1,000 feet to over 2,500 feet. Bin 311 has captured this cool-climate goodness in its Chardonnay, which is a bright-toned combo of salt, lemon rind and toasted nuts. The palate is a fine balance of fruit weight and prickly acidity with a chalky texture and a long lemony finish.


Bin 311 Chardonnay is sourced to style from a single, cool-climate region. In 2016, fruit sourcing has again come from Tumbarumba one of Australias most exciting, cool-climate, high-altitude, viticultural districts. Penfolds has worked with chardonnay from Tumbarumba since the early 1990s. The Bin 311 style typically exhibits lemon/lime aromas and a mineral acid backbone, complemented by barrel fermentation and maturation in seasoned oak. Minimal filtration is employed, preserving elegant fruit flavours.

The generosity promised on the nose is certainly delivered on the palate. A beguiling creamy texture energised by fresh, chalky acidity. Flavours of honeydew and tangelo fruits merge with those of slithered pistachio, cashew. Refreshing. Inviting.