Max's Chardonnay
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed within 1–5 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy pasta dishes, grilled seafood
✨ wine.spec_sheet
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.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1844 by Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold at Magill Estate near Adelaide, Penfolds is one of Australia's oldest and most iconic wineries, now headquartered in Nuriootpa, South Australia. The estate is celebrated for pioneering a unique house style centered on multi-regional and multi-vineyard blending, a philosophy perfected by legendary winemaker Max Schubert in the mid-20th century. Penfolds is globally renowned for its robust, structured red wines aged in premium oak, most notably its flagship Grange—a rich, collectible Shiraz-based blend—alongside acclaimed expressions like Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz and Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, while maintaining its deep South Australian roots, the producer has expanded its winemaking footprint to include exceptional terroirs in California, Bordeaux, and beyond.