Penfolds - Yattarna 'Bin 144' Chardonnay 2023

dec

Reminiscent of the focused, arrow-straight 2021 vintage, this is a blend of 65% Tumbarumba fruit joined by parcels from the Adelaide Hills and Tasmania. It's the 'reserved, pristine, exact' sibling to the 'funky and forward' Reserve Bin A, says Penfolds' chief winemaker Peter Gago, explaining that inoculated, not wild, yeast is used for Yattarna to retain that purity. This needs at least a year before broaching, with the toasty oak (eight months in 60% new and 40% one-year barrels) still integrating, but while shy at present, there's a concentrated, complex core of fruit stirring underneath. Bright lemon juice, grapefruit zest, fresh fig leaf, nougat and crunchy nectarine combine with cool, mossy wet stones and laser-sharp acidity in a beautifully elegant expression. Released at £135.

Jancis Robinson

Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux

The Wine Front

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Yattarna Chardonnay hails from Tumbarumba, Adelaide Hills and Tasmania and leads with a restrained, composed and detailed display of fruit flavors and toasted spice complexity. This is a wine for the ages, one that shows well decades after release. I love the way this sits in the mouth, both weighty and waxy, with detail and levity as well. It has penetrating intensity without the heaviness of any one component. Texturally, the phenolic grip is chalky, with white flowers and fennel littered through the finish. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

James Suckling

This is an Australian classic and is atypical, being sourced from vineyards across the country. It comes from three regions: Tumbarumba, Adelaide Hills and Tasmania. Aromas of struck match, lemon confit, white nectarines and grapefruit. The palate has striking acidity, with a salty, minerally finish that leaves you salivating for minutes. An excellent release from a cool vintage. Drink or hold.