The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2021 just may be the best cheap retail wine available. I found it at a major Chicago wine and spirits shop for $3.99. Cheapwinefinder has reviewed every vintage since 2015 except 2020. I keep expecting the quality to fall off, to be disappointed, but it never happens. And this is a brand that has been around for almost 40 years.
Lindeman’s was the first winery founded in Australia back in the 1840s, but the winery is gone and they are now simply a brand. A while back Robert Parker jr, the king of wine critics, wrote that this was one of the top 3 or 4 Chardonnay values in the world. This was years ago, but this Chardonnay has been delivering for a long time.
The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2021 most reason technical notes are for the 2017 vintage, the climate notes will be different but the general production should be the same. This is 100% Chardonnay sourced from various vineyards in South Eastern Australia. The brand is now owned by Treasury Wine Estates and they own excellent properties in Australia and elsewhere.
The wine was aged using French oak which is surprising considering how inexpensive this Chardonnay is. I have read that they used oak barrels, but the tech notes do not mention barrels, just French oak. This is a young wine, whatever aging it has is not too long and it is better to drink it sooner rather than later.
The grapes for the Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2021 were probably picked in March of 2020. It is already being sold 1000s of maile away in April of 2022, so this is a wine made to come together quickly. The alcohol content is a reasonable 13%.
The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2021 Tasting Notes
The color is a pale sunshine yellow. The nose is floral, with ripe peach, pear, apple, lime, a touch of honey, melon, and grapefruit. The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2021 is light to medium-bodied, sleek with a mix of ripe fruit and tart citrus.
This Chardonnay tastes like apple, a stew of peach, lime, and pear, with a soft splash of spice. The mid-palate brings a little tangerine, kiwi, toasty vanilla, and that salty/nutty on-lees thing.
The acidity is very well-balanced giving the flavors plenty of time to unfold.
The Summary
- The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2021 is an amazingly competent wine for its low, low price.
- Every vintage brings a slightly different wine, the way it is supposed to be, this is not a cookie-cutter wine.
- At $3.99, you can get 5 bottles for $20, the ultimate party wine?
