When I first started First Pour Wine, hitting the bottom of the barrel was the only option.  Truth be told, when the bottom of the barrel is $5, it’s an easy impulse, but when you move to a state with higher taxes, that floor moves up to $7-8.  For $7-8 dollars, the $1-2 difference to much better wines isn’t so big a gulf to cross.  Hence, less $5 wines on lately.  Still, Costco saw fit to help me out, and price Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay at only $5.  How is it?

Sight:  Medium gold, with hints of green.

Smell:  The nose deeply on the woodsy side, with lots of vanilla, smoke, oak, and toast.  Some apples and a hint of stone fruit come into the picture, but are deeply held behind the oak.

Sip:  Round and bright, it feels like chardonnay.  It smack you in the face with a big pop of oak to say hello.  The vanilla and toast are so powerful,  that it almost overwhelms any fruit, but some melon and stonefruit come forward.

Savor:  The ending is fairly similar, popping huge bombs of smoke and oak into the picture, leaving a slightly smoky note.

I kind of like Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay in the same way I like a peaty scotch.  It has a ton of oak, and some nice fruit notes, with a good mouthfeel.  As a Chardonnay goes, this is totally unbalanced though, and really wouldn’t be considered good.  If you like an oak bomb, than the price is great for Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay, but for those who want balance in their Chardonnay, look else where.

Verdict:  Oak, Vanilla, Toast, Oak, Oak, Oak, Bright
Rating: 60
Price: $5
South Eastern Australia

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