No grape variety has played a more significant role in the development of modern Australian wine than Chardonnay. Ken Gargett traces the variety’s history in Australia, explores the region-by-region differences, and picks out some of the country’s finest Chardonnay producers …
I love the notes Brian Croser shares about each vintage. He introduces 2025, “as a weak, wobbly Antarctic vortex allowed a pressure system to escape near the Australian continent. The result was the warmest, driest and earliest vintage of my …
Some fantastic words by Andrew Caillard MW in The Vintage Journal covering the new Chardonnays from our Tiers Vineyard and Tiers 1.5M Vineyard. “The results highlight the quality of the vineyard, the epigenetic evolution of the vines, and winemaking methods,” …
Pale colour. Intense grapefruit, bitter lemon, flinty aromas with hints of marzipan. Tightly structured but refreshing with ample grapefruit, lemon, hint apricot fruits, supple/ looseknit chalky textures, very good mid-palate volume and fresh resonating/ indelible acidity. Pure, linear and minerally. …
More white peach and less grapefruit than the 1.5m. The nutty lees and a caress of oak provide harmonious complexity. A lingering, fine grip and perfectly balanced acidity complete the picture. ($110.00)…
I’m reviewing this a little later in the day, so there will be Tiers before bedtime. I’ll fetch my coat. Nectarine, grapefruit, nougat, a little spice and cedar. It’s lively, a grapefruit tang to acidity and flavour, there’s something of …
I always love Brian (Croser)’s notes that come with every Tapanappa wine, especially the details on weather and vintage. A grape nerd’s delight! 2024 has a ‘near perfect’ label in the Piccadilly Valley from Brian with a head degree summation …
A very refined nose, with crisp lemon and bright grapefruit zest, overlaid with oak spice. The palate has a bracing tension and textural interest, with freshness and balance, plus focused fruit with elegance and length. Well-integrated, beautifully balanced and deliciously …
This is excellent, with so much clarity and precision. Aromas of minerals, struck match, grapefruit, flint, crushed stones, white orchard fruit and talc. The palate is tightly wound, with vivid acidity, generous underlying power and saline and yeasty notes. Delicious …
The more sophisticated and reserved 2024 Chardonnay Tiers is a little shy and tightly coiled right now, offering up pristine aromas of melon and pear topped by fine oatmeal tones and spicy oak, with just a touch of smoky reduction. …
Here we have the pinnacle Chardonnay release from the first vineyard planted in the Piccadilly Valley since the 19th century. Restrained power is the term that comes to mind here. It’s tight and focussed, yielding enough aromatic presence to get …
The original Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay planted in 1979 in the Piccadilly Valley was the first Adelaide Hills vineyard to unknown clones. 2024, though slightly warmer, was yet another cooler vintage in the run since 2020. Modest cropping of 4 tonnes …
From the first Croser vineyard, planted ’79. A potent and rich chardonnay of distinguished power and presence. It’s set at a riper pace but feels supremely balanced and delivers emphatic notions of quality. Rich pear notes, dried and fresh, honeyed …
Complex and layered aromas of cashew nut, just-ripe white stone fruit, wheat puff, white flowers and grapefruit pith. Fine, focused and layered in flavour. There’s a drive of stone fruit, melon and a nutty creaminess. Pithy, crunchy acidity then kicks …
The 2024 Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay always ratchets up the fruit power and intensity from all other Chardonnays, both at Tapanappa and in the Adelaide Hills region at large. This usually gives us a thundering display of concentration and phenolic drive, …
Another superb Tiers Chardonnay highlighting the beauty achieved with the grape in the Adelaide Hills. Adjectives get a real work out with this wine. Ripe fruit is noted and while the alcohol suggests it might be bigger – 14.1% abv …
Concentrated and focused, let this Tapanappa Tiers Chardonnay breathe for now or give it some bottle age and it will pay you back in spades. A few days of tasting proved that. An excellent wine as ever, but it’s tightly …
A pretty, perfumed and finely detailed nose of sweet citrus and apple blossoms, apple gums, donut peach, honeydew, honeyed cashew, white pepper, dried galangal and gently woven spice.
In the mouth it’s tightly coiled, tense and shaped like a Barracuda; …
The vines used for Tiers were planted in 1981, which is pioneering territory for Adelaide Hills. The clone is unknown, though they think it’s related to the cuttings brought in by James Busby in 1832.
There’s a bit of ooomph …
This has to rank up there with the best of the Tiers Vineyard chardies yet released. It was an ever so slightly warmer vintage than the previous and this is reflected in the depth and fruit concentration expressed with relative …
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