It’s easy to overlook Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay on liquor store shelves. The reliable choice has been one of the fixtures of the Australian category for decades and continues to enjoy strong sales across the country, but do you know anyone who buys it?
When Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay was introduced to Canadian consumers 40 years ago, Australia’s wine wasn’t the only thing from Down Under making our spirits soar. It was part of a charm offensive of all things Australian, tagging along with bands like Men at Work, INXS and Crowded House and pop culture sensations like Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee franchise gaining in popularity around the world.
Lindeman’s Bin 65 and other Australian brands tapped into the same feel-good vibe that Hogan displayed on screens large and small. His fish out of water character Mick Dundee was featured in three successive films between 1986 and 2001, while the actor was featured in a serious of memorable Australian tourism television commercials that introduced Australian culture and idioms like “G’Day” and “mate” to North American audiences while popularizing the phrase: “I’ll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for ya.”
The last time I tasted Bin 65 was five years ago, during the pandemic lockdown, when I noted its fresh, fruity and flavourful style. It was a good example of a basic chardonnay – a familiar stroll down memory lane. Last week’s experience with the 2024 vintage inspired mixed feelings.
Tasted over the course of three days, Bin 65 delivered the expected bold flavour and soft texture that gives it mass appeal. There’s plenty of sweet fruit and butterscotch-like oak on display. But there was also a pervasive synthetic note that spoils the party for me. (It’s hard to say whether the artificial flavour came from the use of oak chips or another trick of the trade to maintain profit margin in an inexpensive chardonnay. Bin 65 retails between $10.99 and $16.78 in liquor stores across the country.)
Bin 65 Chardonnay was built to be a crowd-pleaser, not a critic’s choice. I doubt long-standing Bin 65 drinkers will share my concerns, especially anyone who serves their chardonnay well-chilled, which dulls its flavour.
At the height of its global popularity, however, Lindeman’s most famous label managed to win over casual consumers as well as discerning wine lovers.
The current vintage was released at a time of turmoil for the brand, as Lindeman’s, Wolf Blass and “low-end commercial” brands were for sale by owner Treasury Wine Estates in 2024. Two weeks ago, Treasury abandoned the sale due to a lack of a buyer.
Meanwhile, winemakers across Australia are already making the 2025 vintage, which is one of the earliest starts on record after a dry and hot growing season that should yield good quality grapes. Time will tell how the 41st vintage of Bin 65 will shape up.
