Yattarna 2024 Penfolds

Tasting Note Yattarna 2024

Aromas of citrus and green apple dominate, underpinned by chalky nuances. Oak notes remain in the background here. Barrel aging adds layers of delicate toasty and nutty aromas to the Yattarna, rather than buttery notes. The acidity envelops the entire palate, and the finish is firm and sustained. This is a young, tightly structured wine. A bottle opened now showcases its framework more than its fullness.

Grape Varieties

Yattarna 2024 is a single-varietal wine: Chardonnay.

Grapes grown in the cool-climate South Australian region, which retain good acidity and exhibit citrus notes rather than tropical fruit aromas.

Cellaring Potential

It's best enjoyed between 2026 and 2040. The wine's main characteristics are its acidity and the structure developed through oak aging. Serve at 10-13°C, and if the bottle is young, let it sit in a decanter for about 30 minutes.

About Penfolds

The history of Penfolds began in 1844, when the English doctor Christopher Rowson Penfold settled in Magill, near Adelaide, bringing with him English and French vine cuttings, and built a stone cottage called ‘The Grange’ — a name that Max Schubert would adopt a century later. Believing that wine possessed medicinal properties, he mainly produced fortified wines, although clarets and Rieslings soon followed. His wife Mary was involved in winemaking and managed the estate, taking full charge following his death in 1870; by 1881, Penfolds accounted for a third of all wine produced in South Australia. The shift towards table wine production took place under Gladys Penfold Highland, who became chair of the board of directors in 1948 and, in 1950, sent Schubert to Europe, supporting both his research and his ambition to create a superb red wine. Schubert joined the company in 1931 as a messenger, became the first head winemaker in 1948 and, from 1951, created experimental ‘Grange’ vintages until management ordered him to stop – he continued in secret. Production of the ‘Bin’ series began separately in 1959 with ‘Kalimna Bin 28’, named after the storage bunkers at Magilla. The focus is on Shiraz, blended from grapes grown in the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra valleys, although ‘Bin 707 Cabernet’ and ‘Yattarna Chardonnay’ are also wines of note. Peter Gago has been in charge of the winery since 2002.

Terroir & Climate

Yattarna is a blend drawn from multiple regions rather than a single vineyard, and that is precisely what makes this wine special. Tumbarumba, the Adelaide Hills and Tasmania are cool-climate Chardonnay sites, and Penfolds selects grapes from among them each year. Cool vineyards maintain high acidity, ensuring that the fruit aromas do not lean too heavily toward mango but retain notes of citrus and green apple. The firm, mineral-rich structure evident in the glass stems directly from this selection process.

Winemaking

This wine undergoes a short and careful oak aging process. It is aged for 8 months in French oak barriques, with 60% in new oak and 40% in one-year-old oak. Although the proportion of new oak is high, the aging period is short. This combination delivers spicy flavors and texture without the heaviness of butter or toasted notes often found in overly heavy Chardonnay wines. Penfolds prioritizes tension over richness, and thanks to the short aging period, citrus fruit aromas come to the forefront.

Food Pairing Yattarna 2023

The high acidity and crisp structure pair well with delicate proteins and clean fats.
Rich cream sauces will overpower the wine's flavors. Keep the recipes simple.

• Grilled Tasmanian scallops, browned butter
• Steamed snapper with ginger and spring onion
• Roast chicken, skin crisp, no heavy sauce
• Fresh goat cheese on toast; the acidity cuts the chalkiness