2007 Yattarna

Tasmania, Adelaide Hills and Henty. Much more promising than the 2002 (and under screwcap, not cork.) Full but not clumsy, round and plump on the palate. Not so wacky as the Bin A 2009 but very well made, lovely texture and length and retaining lots of fruity bite even at four years old. A worthy premium Chardonnay. (RH)

Produced since 1995, Peter Gago informed me that Yattarna has undergone a few changes since the first releases: less new oak, better oak, picking earlier, older vines, more batonnage and adding no SO2 until the end. The regional blend changes every year, with the 2007 Yattarna Chardonnay composed of 48.7% Tasmanian fruit (Derwent) with some from South Australia (Adelaide Hills) and Victoria (Henty). It had 100% malo-lactic and 9 months in French oak barriques, 35% new. The nose is youthful revealing a moderate intensity of stone fruit aromas plus some butterscotch, oatmeal, toast, nuts, oyster shells and a touch of ginger. Light to medium-bodied, crisp and tight with a lightly silken texture, it has a good amount of citrus flavor and minerality in the middle, going into a zesty / steely character in the long finish. Drinking now, it should continue to give pleasure to 2016. With a lot of changes happening around the Foster’s Group, it is business as usual at Penfolds…which seems to operate within its own world. But this is no small world. The vineyard holdings here are vast and the connections with growers go back generations. Chief winemaker Peter Gago is the very well spoken front-man for the production team backed-up Kym Schroeter in charge of the whites and Steve Lienert crafting some very fine, consistent and sometimes inspired reds. If Champagne is all about the art of blending, then Penfolds is the Champagne of Australian wine. Those that think large companies producing wines that emphasize blending can’t make great wines need to think about the Champagne model or simply try some of Penfolds top wines to become believers. That said – check out their recent single vineyard release: the very special 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon, the first release of a wine made purely from this 100+ year old single block (perhaps the oldest block of Cabernet in the world?) since 1996. Importer: Foster’s Wine Estates Americas, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-4500

(35% new French oak) Light, bright yellow. A fragrant, fruit-driven bouquet offers honeydew, nectarine, lime pith and honeysuckle, with subtle oak spices adding an exotic touch. Juicy and focused, with vibrant melon and pit fruit flavors and good citric bite on the back half. Smokier on the finish, leaving behind sweet peach and melon notes. There's very good energy here, which suggests that this will be even better in a couple of years.