2022 Chardonnay Yattarna

This year, I started my ten-day tour through the Barossa Valley with a tasting of Penfolds’ annual new releases of local and international offerings with chief winemaker Peter Gago and his team. This tasting presented a perfect opportunity to assess individual wines and to have a quick refresher on the various Barossa vintages from 2020 to 2024.

It is worth noting that 2021 to 2024 have been a string of mild years across Eastern Australia, significantly impacting the wines. Classical Penfolds, full-flavored profiles have been judiciously toned down, and, in their place, wines show excellent composure. This was displayed in this year’s Penfolds releases, except Grange from the 2020 vintage. This was not only the vintage talking; potentially, there is a general move afoot for Penfolds to pursue finesse in their wines more so than in the past. Perhaps international projects in Champagne, Bordeaux, California and China provide international perspectives, or there is a desire to broaden the wine’s appeal in global markets. Time will tell whether the weather leads here or is a change of tack for this label.

This is an outstanding set of red wine releases from Penfolds and the best in some years, thanks to the bulk coming from two very impressive vintages - 2021 and 2022. The lower-end Bin 28 and Bin 128 Shiraz have impressive depth of fruit, while the Bin 138 Grenache blend is a remarkable release for this label. The 2022 Bin 389 is stunning, with fruit from McLaren Vale, Coonawarra and Barossa beautifully intertwined with effortless balance - a classic wine. Rising the ranks, Barossa 2022 also looks great in the St Henri and RWT Shiraz. This tasting again confirmed that 2022 is a charming vintage for much of the Barossa and is also where Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro have shared the spoils. It is worth noting that the 2022 whites do not reach the heights of last year, and 2020 Penfolds Grange, while sure to be long-lived, will not be a definitive vintage.

Coonawarra, once again, shines very brightly in the 2021s and 2022s, especially with Bin 707 and Bin 169. This year, Coonawarra is particularly prominent in three unique releases. A Penfolds’ house specialty, the Cabernet Shiraz is complemented by the introduction of a Bin 180 Coonawarra blend from old vine stock, presenting a beautifully refined, seamless and stylish tribute to the great 2021 Coonawarra vintage. This wine will cellar exceptionally well. Coonawarra also played a part in Penfolds’ growing international stable as a blending partner to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Bin 149) and Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon (Penfolds II). Both these wines have significantly benefited from adding Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon fruit.