Penfolds 2005 Bin 144 Yattarna Chardonnay was named Australia's best export wine for 2008 by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (AWBC).
Selected from 17,369 entries submitted for the AWBC’s approval, Yattarna is Australia’s most expensive white wine, at AUS$130 (£58). The same wine was chosen best Chardonnay over £10 at the 2008 Decanter World Wine Awards.
Penfolds’ senior white winemaker Kym Schroeter said the wine was ‘akin to a grand cru’, in that unlike previous vintages for which fruit from multiple regions was used, the 2005 was made entirely from Adelaide Hills grapes.
Only 1,000 cases of Yattarna are produced each year, with Australia, the UK and the US as the main markets.
By law, all Australian export wines must be approved by AWBC expert panels which conduct year-round assessments and nominate the best wines for final judgment.
Written by Chris Snow
