2023 Penfolds Bin 144 Yattarna Chardonnay, Various

A wonderfully filigreed Yattarna. This release shows all the finesse that we've come to expect from the wine, with pure white peach, juicy nectarine, citrus and apple fruit tones. Hints of soft spice, hazelnut and meadow flowers. A light whisper of flint, creamy oak, oatmeal and biscuity tones meld together beautifully. The tension and interplay between fruit and sapid minerality is fascinating, with supple fruit flowing forth – all pure, mealy and complex. There's a slow glutamic ache of umami as it fades away with a sustained and enduring finish. A stunning, graceful wine, and one that is at the peak of its game.

98 points Dave Brookes winecompanion.com.au

Penfolds Bin 144 Yattarna Chardonnay is one of Australia’s most refined and age-worthy white wines, often described as the “white Grange” for its ambition, precision and stature. The 2023 vintage continues this tradition with poise and quiet authority, drawing fruit from multiple high-altitude, cool-climate regions including Tasmania, Tumbarumba and the Adelaide Hills. These sites, meticulously selected for their ability to deliver Chardonnay with natural acidity, tight structure and layered complexity, are the bedrock of what Yattarna represents.

The name "Yattarna" is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "little by little" or "gradually," a nod to the patient, decades-long journey Penfolds undertook in developing a white wine worthy of sitting alongside Grange. The first vintage was released in 1995, following years of site and clone trials across Australia. Since then, Yattarna has evolved into one of the country’s most collected and admired Chardonnays, reflecting both regional diversity and a masterfully restrained winemaking style.

Chief winemaker Peter Gago, along with his white wine team, crafts Yattarna with precision. Grapes are handpicked and whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation takes place in high-quality French oak barriques, with a judicious use of new oak, followed by extended maturation on lees with regular bâtonnage. Malolactic fermentation is partial, used only when it enhances the texture or balance, not as a stylistic default.

The 2023 vintage is intensely focused and linear. Aromatically it opens with white peach, lemon pith and green melon, layered with struck flint, almond meal, and subtle hints of nougat and saline oyster shell. The palate is tightly coiled, almost Burgundian in its restraint, with precise citrus and stone fruit, mineral drive, and integrated oak that gently frames rather than dominates. There’s a crystalline purity to the fruit, underpinned by savoury complexity and a long, fine finish that builds with each sip.

It’s a Chardonnay that pairs beautifully with refined dishes like butter-poached crayfish, roast chicken with lemon thyme, pan-seared scallops or celeriac purée with grilled fennel. While enjoyable in its youth with a good decant, Yattarna is built to evolve gracefully over 10 to 15 years, gaining complexity and textural weight with time.

Bin 144 Yattarna is not about flash or overt richness—it’s about line, length and latent power. It is, quite simply, one of the most elegant and intellectual white wines in the Southern Hemisphere, and a true testament to Penfolds' enduring pursuit of excellence.