Penfolds Chardonnay Reserve Bin 20A 2020

Penfolds Chardonnay Reserve Bin 20A, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, 2020

Grape: Chardonnay (96% sourced from Piccadilly) 8 months' maturation in French oak barrels (86% new), full malolactic fermentation

Producer Tasting Note:

Very pale straw colour ith lemony-green/Tahitian lime-skin hues. On the nose, alerted by very subtle struck-match, flint … followed by French pastry with lemon glaze, grapefruit/white-peach. Evident thereafter - citrus blossom, poached pear, brûlée, brioche, a light custardy creaminess, and a modicum of nuttiness. An ever-so-subtle wet-slate minerality adds to the charm. Balanced, seamless oak in harmony. On the palate, alluring glimpses of freshly cut fig, grapefruit and lemon, with a slight briny element. Fruit is the hero here, and dare it be said – arguably outshining the winemaking input! Linearity with thrust/drive. Natural acidity binds all together, rendering a refreshing and lingering finish. Restrained – needs time.

THIS WINE HAS ALL THE GREAT CHARACTERS OF GRAND CRU CHARDONNAY, BUT IT’S VERY MUCH FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA. - KYM SCHROETER, PENFOLDS WHITE WINEMAKER

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"Lean and sleek, but there's loads of green fruit, smoky toast on the finish. Supple, persistent, focused. Lots of grand-cru-style intensity but without the old-fashioned oak or buttery dominance."

18/20 points, Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com, December 2021

"The single-region 2020 Reserve Bin 20A Chardonnay comes almost entirely from Piccadilly this year (but always from the Adelaide Hills). It delivers scents of struck match and lingering campfire smoke, followed by almost peachy-ripe layers of fruit, all backed by vibrant notes of citrus and pineapple. It's medium to full-bodied and almost creamy in texture without being fat or lush, as it's drawn tight around a gentle spine of acid that lingers elegantly on the finish. Most tasters (myself included) wouldn't guess that this was aged in 86% new French oak."

94/100 points, Joe Czerwinski, WINE ADVOCATE, July 2021

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, without 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 regular yeast lees stirring. 100% malolactic fermentation (all natural).

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.