Barry Weinman: Tasted 25th June 2026

Few wineries have shaped the story of Australian wine as profoundly as Penfolds. Since its foundation in 1844, Penfolds has been more than a producer of great wine; it has been a custodian of innovation and, through the enduring success of Grange, the winery that helped establish Australia’s reputation on the world fine wine stage.

For generations of collectors, Penfolds has provided the benchmarks against which Australian reds are measured, while its distinctive House Style—built on blending across regions, vineyards and vintages where appropriate—remains uniquely Australian in both philosophy and execution. In many respects, the history of modern Australian fine wine cannot be told without Penfolds at its centre.

While Penfolds is best known for its legendary reds, its white wine program deserves equal respect. The pursuit of a “White Grange” led to the creation of Yattarna, one of Australia’s great Chardonnays and a wine that reinforces that Australian whites can compete with the finest examples from anywhere in the world.

Today, Yattarna, Reserve Bin A and Bin 311 form a remarkably cohesive portfolio, showcasing Penfolds’ ability to source fruit from the country’s best cool-climate regions, including Tasmania, Adelaide Hills and Tumbarumba; and the range mirrors, in philosophy, the red wine program, with winemaking led by Kym Schroeter.

Bin 311 is to Yattarna as Bin 389 is to Grange. Bin 389 has long been considered the “baby Grange” as it shares the same winemaking philosophy and indeed, fruit that is destined for Grange may be relegated to 389 if it does not quite make the grade (it does not fit style-wise with St Henri or RWT).
And so it is with Bin 311. A wine that shares its DNA with Yattarna and also benefits from fruit that would have otherwise gone to Yattarna. Whereas the Reserve Bin A Chardonnay is made specifically from Adelaide Hills fruit and is made in a different style.

*This was not a blind wine tasting, and it was hosted by Peter Gago. As a result, points should be considered as indicative.

Reviewed

Penfolds – Bin 311 – 2025. This is a very fine wine. Aromas of grapefruit and lime get the ball rolling. Whilst this presents as taut and elegant, with a distinct flinty minerality, there is a core of ripe stone fruit running the length and breadth of the palate. Supple, elegant and brilliant drinking, in 2025 Bin 311 is much more approachable than some previous releases. This is, in part, attributed to the fact that the winemakers have included new oak (23%) for the first time. Whilst it is age worthy, it is so enjoyable young. Fruit is sourced from Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Tumbarumba. 13% alc | 94–95pts* | $55.00.

Penfolds – Reserve Bin A – 2025. This is so, so good. The fruit is superb, but it is the texture/mouthfeel/length of flavours that is an absolute standout. Compared to the Bin 311, here the citrus characters are much more muted, with the peach-like fruit the star, supported by complexity-building nuttiness (more almond meal than cashew from my perspective). With air, and as it warmed, this gets even better, the power and complexity really starting to build. For me, the value proposition with this wine is compelling.

Unlike Yattarna and Bin 311, Reserve Bin A is a single-region wine, with the fruit coming from the Adelaide Hills. Barrel fermented and matured for 8 months in 225-litre French oak barriques (~60% new), some barrels were allowed to go through wild primary ferment, and the wine underwent 100% malolactic fermentation. 12.5% alc | 96pts* | $125.00.

Penfolds – Yattarna – 2024. There is a sense of power and gravitas that is on another level with this wine, and the completeness of the wine made descriptors seem superfluous at the time. For me, the seamless, creamy, supple, textured palate was the highlight, making for a truly sensational wine that compares to any Chardonnay on the world stage. After sitting in the glass for 90 minutes, the power of this wine really started to build. It does not taste like a white Burgundy, nor should it. Rather, it sits proudly as one of the world’s great Chardonnays in its own right.

Fruit sourced from Tumbarumba, Adelaide Hills and Tasmania. Barrel fermented and matured in French oak barriques, 56% new, for 8 months. 12.5% alc | 97pts* | $220.00.