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Penfolds Chardonnay Yattarna Bin 144
Last edited on 8/11/2021 by LindsayM
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In April 1998 the long-awaited result of the ‘White Grange Project’ was finally released, the name (an meaning little by little) putting to rest forever the idea that there could possibly be a brand extension of what is, and always will be, a unique wine. It was a blend of 50 per cent Adelaide Hills and 50 per cent McLaren Vale Chardonnay, given the VIP treatment from start to finish. The ’96 and subsequent vintages have been produced almost entirely from Adelaide Hills Chardonnay grapes.
The development programme to create an Australian white wine of the finest Penfolds standard commenced in 1992. The rationalization behind the project was the creation of a ‘flagship’ white wine that matched the benchmark achieved by Penfolds Grange. During the six years of development substantial resources, together with the experience of the wine-makers were committed through all stages, from stringent vineyard management and fruit selection to the many trials in fermentation and maturation processes.
At first, a great deal of effort was expended on experimental bottlings of Sémillon and Riesling, which were considered Australia’s classic white wines. Later on, Penfolds chief winemaker John Duval settled on Chardonnay because it seemed the most compelling.
The name, Yattarna, is a local, aboriginal word, whose meaning translates as ‘little by little’ or ‘gradually’. Many say the name reflects the overall time and refining required before Penfolds felt the wine was ready to be released. Indeed,some go so far to state that the Bin number – 144 – was derived from the total number of wine trials undertaken during its period of development. Indeed, the winemakers carefully developed more than?a hundred trial wines, before these were narrowed down to eight finished blends. On November the 8th 1997, the winemakers decided that three parcels of Chardonnay wine making up Bin No. 144 met with the rigorous consistency standards applied by Penfolds and were therefore used to create ‘Yattarna.’
At its début in 1998 based on the 1995 vintage, the release yielded only 1180 cases of individually numbered bottles.
Only 1,000 cases of Penfolds Yattarna are produced each year, with Australia, the UK and the US as the main markets.
VITICULTURE AND VINIFICATION
The Adelaide Hills region where most of the Chardonnay grapes are cultivated is characterized by high altitude (400-600 metres) and blessed with a cool and moderately maritime climate that is excellent for growing this variety.
McLaren Vale has a more Mediterranean climate and so produces intensely flavoured white grapes.
Both districts have many different soil types: fertile, red-brown earths; terra rossa; rendzina; soft sands and dark cracking clays. Each of these differing soil types contributes to the rich diversity of wine produced in the region. The soils in this area have one common trait however: they are free draining.
The collected Chardonnay grapes are subjected to whole bunch pressing, then the use of 100% barrel fermentation, incorporating the use of wild yeasts; malo-lactic fermentation and stirring of the yeast (battonage) all bestow important elements to the Yattarna style.
The first Penfolds Yattarna vintages saw 100% maturation for up to 18 months in new French oak. While it added a strong piquant component to the finished wine, winemakers believed the practice over-seasoned the wine thereby masking its overall fruity quality.
Currently, the style favours the use of less new oak, so defined fruity characteristics are more evident. Penfolds has further fine-tuned the Yattarna style by varying the proportion of new oak casks. Generally, the aim is roughly for about 50% new oak usage followed by further maturation in French oak casks for approximately 12 months prior to bottling.
Since the 2004 vintage, Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay has been bottled, replacing the use of corks by a screw cap.
The development programme to create an Australian white wine of the finest Penfolds standard commenced in 1992. The rationalization behind the project was the creation of a ‘flagship’ white wine that matched the benchmark achieved by Penfolds Grange. During the six years of development substantial resources, together with the experience of the wine-makers were committed through all stages, from stringent vineyard management and fruit selection to the many trials in fermentation and maturation processes.
At first, a great deal of effort was expended on experimental bottlings of Sémillon and Riesling, which were considered Australia’s classic white wines. Later on, Penfolds chief winemaker John Duval settled on Chardonnay because it seemed the most compelling.
The name, Yattarna, is a local, aboriginal word, whose meaning translates as ‘little by little’ or ‘gradually’. Many say the name reflects the overall time and refining required before Penfolds felt the wine was ready to be released. Indeed,some go so far to state that the Bin number – 144 – was derived from the total number of wine trials undertaken during its period of development. Indeed, the winemakers carefully developed more than?a hundred trial wines, before these were narrowed down to eight finished blends. On November the 8th 1997, the winemakers decided that three parcels of Chardonnay wine making up Bin No. 144 met with the rigorous consistency standards applied by Penfolds and were therefore used to create ‘Yattarna.’
At its début in 1998 based on the 1995 vintage, the release yielded only 1180 cases of individually numbered bottles.
Only 1,000 cases of Penfolds Yattarna are produced each year, with Australia, the UK and the US as the main markets.
VITICULTURE AND VINIFICATION
The Adelaide Hills region where most of the Chardonnay grapes are cultivated is characterized by high altitude (400-600 metres) and blessed with a cool and moderately maritime climate that is excellent for growing this variety.
McLaren Vale has a more Mediterranean climate and so produces intensely flavoured white grapes.
Both districts have many different soil types: fertile, red-brown earths; terra rossa; rendzina; soft sands and dark cracking clays. Each of these differing soil types contributes to the rich diversity of wine produced in the region. The soils in this area have one common trait however: they are free draining.
The collected Chardonnay grapes are subjected to whole bunch pressing, then the use of 100% barrel fermentation, incorporating the use of wild yeasts; malo-lactic fermentation and stirring of the yeast (battonage) all bestow important elements to the Yattarna style.
The first Penfolds Yattarna vintages saw 100% maturation for up to 18 months in new French oak. While it added a strong piquant component to the finished wine, winemakers believed the practice over-seasoned the wine thereby masking its overall fruity quality.
Currently, the style favours the use of less new oak, so defined fruity characteristics are more evident. Penfolds has further fine-tuned the Yattarna style by varying the proportion of new oak casks. Generally, the aim is roughly for about 50% new oak usage followed by further maturation in French oak casks for approximately 12 months prior to bottling.
Since the 2004 vintage, Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay has been bottled, replacing the use of corks by a screw cap.