"($115) (most of this vintage's fruit comes from Tasmania, with the rest grown in the Adelaide Hills): Pale, green-tinged yellow. An exotic bouquet displays nectarine, orange zest, iodine and spices. Smoky mineral and dried fig notes add complexity and depth to fresh orchard fruit and candied citrus flavors. Becomes spicier with air and finishes with serious thrust, length and lingering minerality. " (IWC)
"Elegant and spotless, but very withdrawn for a wine of its age, almost dumbed down needing more emphasis and intensity. Delicate aromas of peach, white flowers and assertive vanilla oak overlie nuances of grapefruit and pineapple, with a hint of underlying earthiness and smokiness. Smooth and elegant, it’s long and supple, with a very restrained core of pure peach and grapefruit flavour over a fine, dusty undercarriage, ultimately finishing with oak-derived influences of vanilla and clove. " (JO)
Winery Notes:
Launched in 1998 with the 1995 vintage, Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay is the result of one of the most comprehensive, focussed and highly publicised wine development projects ever conducted in Australia. The aspiration and independence of mind across generations of Penfolds winemaking inspired the winery to embark on a program to create a white wine that would one day rival the standards of Penfolds Grange.
Selectively sourcing only the very best Chardonnay fruit from cool-climate regions, coupled with sensitive and enlightened winemaking, the style continues to evolve.
Yattarna reflects Penfolds' patience and continued commitment to its original goal, its very name being drawn from the Aboriginal language, meaning 'little by little, gradually'. Each vintage provides the opportunity to further raise the quality bar.
"This Yattarna release, our fourteenth, adds to the credibility of this vintage across Tasmania, and the Adelaide Hills. Only our best fruit, from our best barriques for our best white!" - P.Gago, April 2011 |
