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Penfolds
2018 Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay
This wine can ship to the following states: AK, CA, DC, FL, MA, MN, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OR, SC, TN, WV, and WI. View state guidelines on import and domestic wines.
Description
Description
Launched in 1998 with the 1995 vintage, Yattarna is the result of one of the most comprehensive, focused and highly publicised wine development projects ever conducted in Australia. The aspiration and independence of mind across generations of Penfolds winemakers inspired the ambition to create a white wine that would set the standard for ultra-fine Australian chardonnay. Selectively sourcing only the very best chardonnay fruit from cool-climate regions, coupled with clever winemaking, the style continues to evolve. Yattarna reflects Penfolds patience and continued commitment to its original goal, its very name being drawn from local indigenous language, meaning ‘little by little, gradually’. Each vintage provides the opportunity to further raise the quality bar.
The Yattarna Story
The release of Yattarna Chardonnay, after 144 winemaking trials, marked a new chapter in the Penfolds story. The inaugural 1995 vintage was arguably the most talked about and early anticipated white wine in Australian history - dubbed by the media as “White Grange”, it reached the front pages of Australia’s national newspapers. The elegant style epitomises the finesse, restraint and character of modern Australian chardonnay. It is best enjoyed within a three- to 12-year time frame – the wines benefit from some bottle age.
Awards & Accolades
Awards & Accolades
-
96
JamesSuckling.com
"A blend of Tasmania, Tumbarumba and Adelaide Hills fruit, this has an intense, stony and mineral freshness with a flinty edge and a wealth of lemon sherbet, white peaches and crushed stones on the nose. Oak is deeply buried. The palate has such striking and intense depth. It’s layered and long and really asserts itself as the most complex and most powerful chardonnay in this release. The depth and pristine grade of fruit here are impressive. Deep, pithy finish. Drink over the next eight years. Screw cap."
- James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, July 2020 -
93
Robert Parkers, Wine Advocate
"Cool-climate fruit from Tasmania, Tumbarumba and the Adelaide Hills, barrel fermented and matured eight months in 60% new French barriques, the 2018 Yattarna Chardonnay starts off with aromas of roasted nuts and toasted bread set against a backdrop of tart, citrusy fruit. Medium-bodied, there's just enough flesh to let you know this is Chardonnay—maybe a hint of underripe peach or nectarine—but this is more about line and length, with a strong backbone of acidity that drives the flavors forward into a long, mouth-puckering finish. Impressive, yes. But is it really that enjoyable? Maybe down the road, which is the intention."
Joe Cerzinski, Robert Parkers Wine Advocate, July 2020 -
96
JamesSuckling.com
" A blend of Tasmania, Tumbarumba and Adelaide Hills fruit, this has an intense, stony and mineral freshness with a flinty edge and a wealth of lemon sherbet, white peaches and crushed stones on the nose. Oak is deeply buried. The palate has such striking and intense depth. It’s layered and long and really asserts itself as the most complex and most powerful chardonnay in this release. The depth and pristine grade of fruit here are impressive. Deep, pithy finish. Drink over the next eight years. Screw cap.” - James Suckling, July 2020
Wine & Vintage Details
Wine & Vintage Details
Tasting Note
Color
Very pale straw with lime green hues
Nose
A pedigreed stylistic first alert – subtle flint, more rock-flint than struck-match.
A mist of limey citrus, curry leaf and hints of white peach. Quite an exotic ascent... no need to coax from glass via a vigorous swirl.
Understated spoils of cool-climate, barrel-fermented chardonnay – a lovely waxiness, whiff of cashew, and subtle creaminess.
A Southern-Hemisphere reflection extolling Burgundian restraint, temperament.
Palate
At once, substantial flavour coupled with a textural dynamic; mouth-filling, engulfing – opens up aka mid-symphony, no instrument idle.
White stone fruits – just ripe nectarine and freshly-sliced peach, and the most subtle adornment of oak and zesty acidity.
A wonderful line struts across the mid-palate, not brazenly, yet with real purpose/destination and persistence.
Amplified innate potential; beautifully poised and defined.
More? Enough will not be enough.
2018 Vintage
All three regions enjoyed a relatively wet winter and spring, setting the vines up with healthy soil moisture profiles for the ensuing growing season. Tasmania experienced clear and generally warm conditions from January onwards, with no extreme heat spells leading into harvest. The temperature only breached 35°C once in January, resulting in optimal conditions for ripening. Tumbarumba had plentiful rainfall right up to December, when a dry spell set in. In February, temperatures were generally cool allowing for slow, consistent ripening. The Adelaide Hills fruit-set was slightly above average. The region experienced a warm finish to the growing season, however well-developed canopies shielded the fruit from adversity and ensured the berries ripened evenly. Harvest was an orderly affair across the three regions, with chardonnay exhibiting outstanding varietal characteristics with bracing natural acidity.
Vineyard & Winemaking Details
Vineyard & Winemaking Details
Peter Gago - Chief Winemaker
Peter joined the winemaking team in 1989, initially in the craftsmanship of sparkling wines, before moving on to reds as Penfolds Red Wine Maker. In 2002 Peter became the fourth ever Chief Winemaker for Penfolds. Together with his fellow winemakers, Peter’s careful custodianship has ensured that Grange and the other ‘older’ members of the Penfolds family, have continued to set the benchmark for their style and quality, while new additions to the range push the boundaries ever wider.
| Alcohol % | 13% |
|---|---|
| Enclosure Type | Screwtop |
| Oak Treatment | Eight months in French oak barriques (60% new) |
| pH | 3.12 |
| Blend | 100% Chardonnay |