Max's Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed within 1–5 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy pasta dishes, grilled seafood
✨ Technical Specifications
Penfolds Max's Chardonnay is a tribute to the legendary former Chief Winemaker Max Schubert, a visionary who dared to revolutionize Australian winemaking. While Schubert is most famously associated with the creation of Grange, this contemporary white wine celebrates his spirit of innovation and pursuit of excellence. Sourced from premium cool-climate vineyards across South Australia, particularly areas that benefit from cooling maritime breezes and elevated sites, this Chardonnay is crafted to showcase a modern, fruit-forward style. It undergoes a careful fermentation process, partially in seasoned and new French oak hogsheads to impart subtle texture and spice, and partially in stainless steel to preserve the pristine stone fruit and citrus characters. The result is a beautifully balanced, textured white wine that honors a winemaking giant while offering an approachable, vibrant expression of South Australian Chardonnay.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1844 by Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold at Magill Estate in the Mount Lofty foothills, Penfolds represents one of the foundational cornerstones of Australian fine wine. Over nearly two centuries, the house evolved from crafting fortified tonics to pioneering modern multi-regional and multi-vineyard blending across South Australia's premier terroirs, including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra. Soils span from rich terra rossa over limestone to weathered ironstone and alluvial clays under warm Mediterranean climates tempered by maritime breezes. Under the long-term stewardship of Chief Winemaker Peter Gago, the house adheres to Sustainable Winegrowing Australia standards while preserving an unmistakable house style defined by meticulous fruit classification, submerged-cap fermentation, and structured maturation in American and French oak hogsheads. Benchmark bottlings such as Grange (Bin 95), Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, and Yattarna Chardonnay define the apex of collectible New World viticulture.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
12.5-13.5%