The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2019 is a perennial CheapWineFinder favorite. This is a wine that has been around since the early 1980s. Lindeman’s was one of Australia’s first wineries founded in the 1840s, but the winery no longer exists, and Lindeman’s is a brand wine. The leading wine seller in Chicago and the surrounding region has this wine on sale seemingly every other month for $3.99; it is 5 or 6 bucks when not on sale.
This Chardonnay has always been an affordably priced wine, but in the 1990s, Robert Parker, the legendary wine critic, called it one of the best wine values in the world. The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2019 was and may still be the best-selling Chardonnay in Canada. Canada has government liquor stores, so alcohol is more expensive; this Chard sells for about $11 Ca, not its cheap US price, and it still sells in volume.
WE always talk about how store brands such as ALDI or Trader Joe’s have a price advantage over retail wine shop wines. They pay the wineries upfront, they do no marketing, and they can negotiate lower distribution costs. You can get good wine at an attractive price.
The Lindeman’s has none of those advantages, plus they have to ship it from Southeast Australia. I read it is distributed to twenty countries. This is a brand that has succeeded for 40 years and still is priced the same as always.
Their website has not been updated since the 2017 vintage, but I think the details stay the same from year to year. They do not give a great deal of information on the production; they say this Chardonnay was aged with French oak. Probably not oak barrels; the cost would be prohibitive for a wine in this price range.
The French are used mainly for flavoring the Chardonnay, so oak stave or chips or even oak powder would be expected. That the winemaker went into that much detail for a very inexpensive wine is to be commended. And through the years, that attention to detail has been reflected in the wine. The alcohol content is a balanced 13%.
Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2019 Tasting Notes
The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2019 is a medium-bodied wine with full, rich flavors. The color is a pale wheat yellow with a slight green tint. The nose is ripe apple, peaches, pears, lemon, fresh lime, a touch of vanilla cream, and a light floral edge. There is more oak influence than I recall from past vintages.
It starts with a mix of green apple, melon, and peach (sounds strange but tastes good), followed by dried pear pieces. The mid-palate offers that salty, nutty “on-lees” sensation, light buttercream (not sweet), a splash of tart grapefruit, and a final hit of dried pineapple.
The acidity gives this Chardonnay plenty of room for the flavors to unfold and gives that sensation that has you reaching for another sip.
The Summary
- The Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2019 packs a far greater punch than its $3.99 price tag would suggest.
- You should probably expect a good enough Chardonnay at this price point, not a “this tastes great” Chardonnay.
- This is not a fussy wine. It is the perfect picnic White wine. No wine glass, no problem, a plastic Red cup will do.
- Throwing a party? At this price, you can get 12 bottles for fifty bucks.
- This wine is the definition of a bargain.
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