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Penfolds
2019 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.
Wine & Vintage Details
Wine & Vintage Details
Tasting Note
Color
Very pale straw with lime green hues
Nose
An immediate assertion of its cool-climate birthright - mineral, wet-stone flint and bath salts.
Radiant fruits concord – notably grapefruit, Meyer lemon and Beurre Bosc pear aromas hold court.
These fruits conspire with lees and oak to induce flashes of torched meringue, crème brûlée, roasted hazelnut and tahini.
Majestic, yet not too ostentatious.
Palate
Confidently powerful and complex, yet still beguiling graced with florals.
Layered and textural:
- A salivating lattice construct, compliments of graphite phenolics and acidity, dimensionally empowering the wine (and no doubt its longevity).
- Oak present yet quietly conceding its supportive role to the same powerful fruits aromatically noted above.
2019 Vintage
Tasmania’s total rainfall for the growing season was close to the long-term average. Although summer was one of the warmest on record, there were no extreme temperatures. A shower or two in February provided some respite from the heat and freshened up the vine canopies. Cooler conditions towards harvest allowed for excellent acid retention and tremendous flavour development. Tumbarumba experienced a mostly warm and dry vintage. By carefully managed irrigation and canopy management grape quality was considered outstanding, albeit with smaller yields than average. Conditions favoured wines with bright fruit and excellent acidity. Adelaide Hills rainfall was well below-average during the growing season, however good falls in June and August ensured optimal soil moisture levels for budburst. Summer was generally hot, with two heatwaves in January mitigated by cooler spells in-between. The growing season finished well, with mild conditions leading into vintage. An excellent vintage for chardonnay, with strong varietal character and good 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 % | 12.5% |
|---|---|
| Oak Treatment | Eight months in French oak barriques (55% new; 45% 1-yr)) |
| pH | 3.21 |
| Blend | 100% Chardonnay |