Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay, 2005

One of the world's top-selling wines, Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay, which cost me $4.99 at World Market, is not an artisan wine. But it once was. And, in line with an admirable Australian winemaking tradition, you can pretty much count on the same aromas and flavors year after year--even back to the days when Bin 65 was probably sourced from a small single vineyard. It's light colored and fragrant with fresh peaches, melon, ripe pears and a hint of nutmeg. A nice little wine for sipping on the deck in spring or summer.

The bin numbering tradition at Lindeman's goes back several decades. Top wines typically have four-digit bin numbers (e.g., Bin 3520); two digit bins (such as Bin 65 Chardonnay) are lower level wines for every day drinking. Like Penfold's, Lindeman's is now a huge operation, but both of these wineries have made an effort to retain the traditional style and personality of their wines. That is something Australian wine drinkers have come to expect.