Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay 2020
Style: White Wine
Closure: Screwcap
Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay 2020
Camberwell
Burke Road
Camberwell VIC 3124
Australia
Producer: Penfolds
Country: Australia
Region: Multi Regional TAS & SA
Vintage: 2020
Critic Score: 99
Alcohol: 12.5%
Size: 750 ml
Drink by: 2040
Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay was launched in 1998 with the 1995 vintage. The name was chosen to honour the 144 winemaking trials it took Penfolds to perfect their flagship white wine and marked a new chapter in the Penfolds story. The inaugural 1995 vintage was arguably the most eagerly anticipated white wine release in Australian history – dubbed by the media as "White Grange", it reached the front pages of Australia’s national newspapers.
Fruit selection is the critical element of Yattarna Chardonnay because it ultimately determines the character of the style. Although multi-vineyard and multi-regional sourcing includes New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, there has been an increasing component of cool-climate Chardonnay from the Derwent Valley, Coal River and Central Highland in Tasmania.
"If their 2020 is this good, then surely we can expect something truly spectacular from the 2021. The team aim for 'purity and precision' and they have achieved that in spades here. This is stunning stuff, complex and alluring. The wine walks the tightrope of power and restraint. Finely balanced with great length. This surely has 10 to 15 years ahead of it, almost certainly more. A really superb Yattarna. Now take a moment to compare the price to that of so many of the Grand, and even Premier, Crus from Burgundy and it is obvious that this is also amazing value." Ken Gargett
The 2020 Yattarna was sourced from Tasmania's Tamar Valley (68%) and South Australia's Adelaide Hills (32%). The Tamar Valley component was sourced almost entirely off the White Hills Vineyard south of Launceston. The wine was matured for eight months in French oak barriques (86% new).
"Pale white gold/light straw colour. On the nose pronounced, complex flint/cordite with underlying citrus notes: grapefruit pith, lemon zest/lemon granita. Toasted brioche, almond biscotti and cashew provide aromatic allure. There is a lovely chariness to the oak, well-integrated into the fruit. Playing a supporting role rather than appearing to be an overtly dominant feature. Subtle hints of briny oyster shell and fresh sea spray reinforce the cool-climate fruit sourcing. At the core of the palate lies bright citrus fruits, with grapefruit and waxy lemon rind leading the way. There is a purity of fruit on the palate, very flavoursome, varietally correct. Mouth-watering acid provides a lingering finish. Creamy phenolics point to the perfect integration of fruit and high-quality French oak. Perhaps a more complex Yattarna upon release than in previous years. There is a wonderful dichotomy between the complexity displayed on the nose and the absolute purity of fruit on the palate. A very complete wine. Peak Drinking: 2024 – 2040." Penfolds
Expert reviews
"Pale colour. Sublime grapefruit, white peach, pear, grilled nut aromas with fresh quartz/flinty notes. Beautifully balanced wine with pure grapefruit, white peach flavours, fine al dente textures, hint yeasty/ waxy notes, superb mid-palate volume and underlying grilled nut, marzipan notes. Finishes chalky and minerally with ample grapefruit notes. All the elements are in perfect balance. A wonderful Yattarna with superb fruit definition, complexity, richness and mineral length. Should last at least 20 years. 100% of the blend is aged for eight months in new (86%) and seasoned one-year-old (14%) oak. Drink now to 2042." Andrew Caillard MW - 99 points
"An excellent wine with bright yellow colour and green hue. The nose displays an aroma reminiscent of flintstone and hints of smoke, refined toasting with hints of chocolate in the background. Complemented by ripe fruit, pear, pineapple and juicy greengage. On the palate well-structured with exciting tension, crisp acidity, elegant character with creamy texture and excellent length. Fine toasting in the finish." Markus Del Monego MW - 99 points
"A blend of Tasmanian and Adelaide Hills fruit, albeit with a mention of Henty. Fermented and matured for 8 months in French barriques (86% new). The 18 months in bottle is celebrated by a wonderful bouquet surging with a burst of spice, char, smoke and grapefruit. The palate is a masterful display of mouth-watering precision and freshness, yet with the complexity of a great chardonnay. Drink by 2040." James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 98 points
"Majority Tasmanian fruit from the White Hills Vineyard outside Launceston, the proportions flipped in comparison to the latest Bin 311 variation. Immediately complex and layered, with house styled flintiness in play within a matrix of immensely attractive and seductive aromas that highlight the magic that happens when such energy-driven fruit meets the finest of oak regimes (French barriques, 86% new for eight months). Yeast buns and toasted almonds pop in and out for a nasal visit, before you enter pure chardonnay heaven as you taste: white stone fruits and yellow grapefruits in an engaging conversation with creamy elements counterpointing lifts of tangy acidity, finishing with impressive length. Everything here is of the finest design. World class." Tony Love, Wine Pilot - 98 points
"If their 2020 is this good, then surely we can expect something truly spectacular from the 2021. The team aim for 'purity and precision' and they have achieved that in spades here. A majority of the fruit, 68%, is from the White Hills Vineyard near Launceston in Tasmania with the remaining 32% from the Adelaide Hills. The wine had an eight month spell in French barriques, 86% new and the rest, seasoned one-year-old.
This is stunning stuff, complex and alluring. Notes of melons, stonefruit, grapefruit pith, cashews, fresh toast lathered with lemon butter. Very subtle oak, in the process of integrating. The wine walks the tightrope of power and restraint. Finely balanced with great length. This surely has 10 to 15 years ahead of it, almost certainly more. A really superb Yattarna. Now take a moment to compare the price to that of so many of the Grand, and even Premier, Crus from Burgundy and it is obvious that this is also amazing value." Ken Gargett, World of Fine Wine - 97 points
"The 2020 Yattarna Chardonnay is silky and refined in the mouth, littered with quiet restraint, salty acidity and very fine/chalky phenolics. It's a quiet iteration of this wine, which only serves to make the 2019 seem more rambunctious and lively by comparison. Both are gorgeous wines, and it will just depend on your personal Chardonnay proclivities. This vintage is gently textural and chewy through the finish, which I like. Drink: 2024 - 2038." Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 97 points
Tyson Stelzer - 97 points
"Bright, light yellow hue; overt oak on the nose, nutty, faintly toasty, a hint of Weetbix, the palate delicate, taut, reserved and high-tensioned. Length is good but it seems to taper a little into the finish; lively but harmonious acidity providing refeshment and delicacy to the fruit. Very reserved in spite of its two years of age. Showed more butter, toast and various citrus fruits after some time in the glass. A pristine wine. The style seems even more pared-back and built for ageing than usual. Drink: 2023–2035." Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 96 points
"The oak is strongly expressed in this blend of Tasmania and Adelaide Hills chardonnay. Aromas of toasted hazelnut, as well as peach, lemon, grapefruit and wet stones abound. There’s nougat and spiced bread here, too. The palate holds an intense core of ripe-peach, grilled-lemon and nectarine fruit flavor delivered in a mouthwateringly intense mode, with flavors of grapefruit, grilled lemon, toasted nuts and a bracingly fresh, unwavering drive of acidity. Drink now." James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com – 96 points
"Yattarna. Bin 144. Grown in Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills. Citrus and pink grapefruit, pear and toast, cedarwood. This just rolls up and delivers the goods; complex, smoky and sustained. That’s all you really need to know – the quality is laid down in the most irrefutable of ways – and yet the way texture is used here, too, is interesting; it’s more silken than creamy, almost grapey but more than that; fluid. Yattarna is always powerful but this release, at least until the strings are drawn on the finish, feels juicy. In short, outside of its quality, it’s an infant. A powerful infant. A Bamm Bamm, complex. Drink: 2024 - 2032+." Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 96 points
Tasmania
Tasmania is a small island located below mainland Australia. It produces less than 1% of Australia’s wine but enjoys a global reputation as a leading producer of premium cool climate wines. It is prized for its top-class sparkling wine, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Tasmania is home to more than 230 wineries across 7 wine regions*. The reigions Coal River Valley, East Coast, Pipers River and Tamar Valley produce around 90% of Tasmania's wine, while the other three regions Derwent Valley, Huon Valley and North West produce the remaining 10%. * Please note these 7 wine areas are considered here to be subregions of Tasmania to aid site navigation.
Tasmania is the coldest wine State in Australia. Its climate is temperate, with a distinct maritime influence from the Tasman Sea to the east, Bass Strait to the north and the Indian Ocean to the west. Summer days are temperate while winter sees some of the coldest temperatures in Australia. It's unique climate and soils combine to create ideal growing conditions for cool-climate grape varieties.