Yattarna Chardonnay 2019
Penfolds
Yattarna Chardonnay 2019
Overview
Overview
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 a standard for ultra-fine Australian chardonnay.
Selectively sourcing only the very best chardonnay fruit from cool climate regions, coupled with sensitive winemaking, the style continues to evolve.
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Country | Australia |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
| Alc/Vol | 12.5% |
| Peak Drinking | 2023-2039 |
Awards and Accolades
Awards and Accolades
| 98 Points | Andrew Caillard MW |
| 98 Points | Tyson Stelzer |
| 98 Points | James Halliday |
| 97 Points | David Sly - Decanter |
| 97 Points | Ken Gargett |
| 96 Points | Huon Hooke |
| 19.5+ Points | Matthew Jukes |
Tyson Stelzer
" The tension, endurance and sheer, molecular detail of Yattarna propels it to the pinnacle of Australia’s pointy chardonnay pyramid, and 2019 follows confidently in the hallowed footsteps of the sublime 2018. This is a vintage that demands a great deal of time to unfurl. Tight, compact, focused and immensely determined, it leads out in its virile youth with the finest struck flint and gunpowder.Powder-fine, crystalline minerality surges long and strong. Another epic Yattarna. "
Andrew Caillard
" Generously proportioned, refined and beautifully integrated with all the hallmarks of a Grand Cru-type Chardonnay. A fantastic experience for Burgundy freaks and those who aspire to surf the perfect reductive wave. "
Huon Hooke
" Bright, gleaming light-yellow colour, the bouquet initially quite strong on smoky-reductive matchstick touches, and toasty oak strongly apparent on nose and palate but not overdone. The wine is focused, taut, intense and discreetly rich across the tongue, the aftertaste very long and emphatic, savoury dryness carrying long and leaving an appetising more-ishness that endures. Intense and high-potential. "
Taste Description
Taste Description
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.
Flavours and 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.
Oak present yet quietly conceding its supportive role to the same powerful fruits aromatically noted above.
Possessing quite a palate ‘presence’ – primarily a tension between power and finesse. An endearing purity, formidable length.Needs time.
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Viticulture Vintage & Winemaking
Vintage Conditions
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.
The Penfolds Team
Key to the success of Penfolds has been a lineage of visionary winemakers. There have only ever been four Chief Winemakers at the helm of Penfolds – Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, each a custodian of a rich winemaking tradition that goes back for more than 170 years.
Our current Penfolds winemaking team has more than 100 years between them as Penfolds winemakers. They are constantly refining and improving their work, whilst honouring the winemaking techniques of their predecessors.