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Enticing citrus, orchard fruit and grilled cashew notes flow and swirl around the simmering acidity and fine creamy texture and propel towards the enchanting, long finish.…

Inviting, with quince, candied lemon and fresh pineapple juice leading to a palate of apple, white peach, vanilla and coconut.…

This is a 55% merlot and 45% cabernet franc blend made in a similar way to the cabernet shiraz. The colour is low intensity with bright crimson purple hues. The aroma shows superb black fruits, and dark plum with a

Elegant, refined and stylish. The fruit comes from down at Wrattonbully and is taken up the winery in Piccadilly. Both varieties are kept separate during the fermentation and maturation stages before blending after 17 months in barriques. Bright crimson hues

2021 Tapanappa B&V Syrah has a medium density purple-crimson colour, the colour of a fresh young wine.

The aroma is of ripe satsuma plums and blackberry with the slightly tarry, anise of Syrah grown in a distinguished site. The bouquet …

The 2019 Tapanappa Merlot Cabernet Franc has deep purple-crimson colour intensity and hue.

The aroma has plum and blackberry ripeness with the slightly minty dried spice of the Whalebone terroir.

The texture is immediately evident in the mouth, and the …

The 2019 Tapanappa Cabernet Shiraz has a translucent, medium intensity colour and the purple-crimson hue of ripe young Cabernet Sauvignon.

The aroma is fresh and complex with spicey mulberry notes from the Cabernet and subtle earthy anise tones from the …

2017 Foggy Hill Pinot Noir is an “exquisite expression of this unique very cool maritime terroir”.

The colour has a lovely intense purple hue. The aromatics are delicate and floral with spice but the profound underlying terroir expression is …

South Australia’s wine story includes many well-worn tales of adventures into the unknown, maddening enterprise and celebrated family sagas. But then there are the more secret histories, which live on today in wines that reflect their colourful stories. Here, we …

After 55 vintages in Australia, you might surmise I have seen it all. Hot years, cold years, wet years, drought years, big crops, small crops, no crop. In 1983, the “Ash Wednesday” fire year, the fire was followed by a …

Brian Croser’s flagship pinot noir comes from just 10 rows of Dijon clones – 777 and 115 – planted in the Foggy Hill Vineyard on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The name might sound a bit like a spell from Harry Potter, …

There’s a cooling aspect to this, with its jasmine and seaspray notes, but its core is nutty and peachy, and while it feels measured it also has a presence. This is a fine chardonnay. Stonefruit, pear and salted nut characters …

Planted in 1979, the Tiers Vineyard is purportedly the first to have been planted in the Piccadilly Valley since the 19th century. It’s a revered site with a history of producing hugely successful Chardonnay wines made by powerhouse Australian wine …

The 2008 Whalebone Vineyard is the product of a warm, ripe vintage.

The ripe blackberry and anise of the Shiraz dominates the aroma although the underlying cassis and herbal spice of the Cabernet Sauvignon add complexity and finesse.

As usual, …

Of the past three wonderful vintages in Tiers Vineyard, 2022 was the coolest.

The colour is pale lemon green. The aroma is of perfectly ripe Chardonnay fruit, ripe nectarine with a hint of flint smoke, yeast cashew and oak spice. …

Brian Croser sends a first-hand report from Tapanappa in the Piccadilly Valley on a small but promising harvest. Above, Croser scrutinizes the Chardonnay grapes in the Tiers Vineyard.

We all know what comes in small packages, but can they be …

If Tiers 1.5m Chardonnay hails from the “new” block of French Bernard clones planted in 2003, fruit for this Tiers Chardonnay is off the “old” block, the original block established in 1979. A cool vintage and low yields bring good …

The Adelaide Hills 2023 vintage was the coolest of the four consecutive cool vintages since 2020. To quote winemaker, Brian Croser, the ’23 Chardonnays are far from “overt.” I find that re-assuring, the vintage speaks and it’s beautifully fine with …

Bright green-gold hues introduce an immediately engaging and open young Chardonnay. Captures the Adelaide Hills archetypal Chardonnay beautifully in delicious citrus and stone fruits – bright and energetic – aided by juicy, filigree fine acidity that drives the wine long. …

Naturally, there is a close relationship between this wine and the preceding one. The 1.5m comes from younger vines, but both were made from hand-picked grapes that were chilled to 2°C, and air-bag pressed before fermentation in French barriques, one …

The nose reflects a cool site and vintage, offering suggestions of grapefruit, fig and white nectarine supported by lees complexity and a whiff of oak toastiness. The long, creamy, acid-fresh palate is a delight.…

This wine offers aromas and flavours that strongly reflect white nectarine. Lees contact imparts an attractive nuttiness, and acidity drives the palate at this early stage.…

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Foggy Hill vineyard, winemaker Brian Croser – accompanied by wife Ann – embarked on a series of tasting and dinners to celebrate this milestone.

Whilst the Definitus wasn’t …

It smells almost steely to me, which I like, and in with that there’s a pleasing green herb, mint and rosy perfume, cherry and strawberry, some cedar/pencil oak too. It’s medium-bodied with excellent structure, the quality of the tannin here …

Only 2011 was cooler than 2023 (of recent vintages) in the Piccadilly Valley, as expressed in HDD at 1093°, versus the long term average of 1135°. This is from a block planted in 1979,  the clone unknown.

Pear, grapefruit and lemon …

From a section of the Tiers vineyard close planted in 2003 using the Bernard clones 76 and 95. This is same same, but different to the old vine Tiers, a little fleshier, but it’s the texture that’s the main point …

Pale gold with cyan reflections and a tight, but beautifully nuanced nose of orange and apple blossom, white peach, pear, apple, lemon, finger-lime, sugarmelon, dried galangal, cashew and honey nougat, fennel, a touch of spearmint, ocean salinity and a hint …

Pale gold with cyan and silver reflections and a nose of honeysuckle, pear, fleshy lemon and lime, white pineapple and peach, white pepper, chervil, coriander seed, ripe fig, candied almond, custard, butter, spearmint and anise. Saint Aubin vibes! In the …

Pale gold with cyan and silver reflections and a nose of orange blossom, floral apples, splice, grilled nectarine, ripe fig, pineapple sage, white pepper, oats/grains and a whisper of spearmint.

In the mouth it’s tart, dry and tense with driving …

Medium-light straw with green highlights. Rich and floral. Full of freshly sliced stone fruit and apple, white blossoms, fig, white chocolate, a little peanut oil, a nuance of oyster shell brine, grapefruit citrus and white stones. Inherent fruit richness which …

Pale lemon with green highlights. Fruit focused, but remaining delicate and intense. Pear, apple, sherbet, warm cinnamon spice, grapefruit and preserved lemon citrus, clove oil and torn brioche. Delicate texture, with precision and focus. Pomme fruit and grapefruit echoes after …

Pale lemon hue. Floral and fragrant. Pomme fruit and blossom, easy roast roast nut delicacy, soft honey, bread crust, ground salt and grapefruit pith.  Such flow and evenness with incredibly complex layers of fruit and winemaking that swirl and writhe …

A layered and energetic Chardonnay from Tapanappa, this Piccadilly Valley comes from a cool and late vintage – the coolest of four successive cooler years from 2020.

Seeing a third new French oak, a creme brulee and caramel creaminess talks …

And you thought the Tiers 1.5m was something special? Woah! This is a treat and then some. The Tiers from Tapanappa has quite rightly built itself a reputation over the years and this further cements its standing as one of …

Lighty toasted cashewnut aroma, hints of vanilla and almond-meal, the palate refined and tense, concentrated and yet seamlessly textured and composed. The wine is very smooth and rounded, with plenty of acidity but you barely feel it. Lovely depth of …

Restrained straw/dried-herb aromas, the palate searingly intense with strong lemon/grapefruit flavours and lively acidity which is felt throughout the mouth. Intense, focused and bright on the tongue, super-refreshing and almost tangy, with a gorgeous fruit-sweet core and a cleansing, refreshing …

Finesse and purity all the way. The step up in class is evident compared to the Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay, this Tapanappa Tiers 1.5m is calming and stylish with a charismatic swagger.

It glides and sways with ease. The presence of …

2009 was a wonderful cooler vintage at Tapanappa’s Whalebone Vineyard.

2009 was very similar to 2004 and wines of these vintages have the refined structure and delicate aromatics of a cooler vintage.

2009 Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Franc has …

2018 Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay is a ripe fruit expression of the unique Piccadilly Valley terroir from a warm vintage.

Pale lemon in colour, 2018 Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay has a ripe peach and fig aroma and flavours to match. The …

Of the past four wonderful vintages in Tiers Vineyard, 2023 was the coldest.

The colour of 2023 Tiers is pale lemon. The aroma displays characters reflective of this cool year with subtle, aromatic apple and pear with honey and lemon, …

2023 Tiers 1.5M Chardonnay stands alongside its older sibling, the 2023 Tiers Old Block, as an equal but with the subtle differences induced by its close spaced, French clone, earlier ripening habit. Both wines are truly outstanding vintage examples of …

The Tapanappa label is the result of a 40+ year mission of veteran winemaker Brian Croser and his family to make world-class wines from the most “distinguished sites” in South Australia. The Foggy Hill vineyard on the Fleurieu Peninsula might …

RESPECTED AUSTRALIAN WINEMAKERS BRIAN CROSER AND LOUISA ROSE SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON THE WORLD-RENOWNED AUSTRALIAN WINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE BEING BLED DRY BECAUSE OF EVER-DECREASING FUNDING.

The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) is 70 years old next year.

One of us …

by Brian Croser

The Australian wine industry has squandered three decades being confused about the differences between premium and non-premium wine and where the opportunities really lie. Brian Croser reports. 

Imagine the world without America and China. I don’t mean …

Very light lemon and lime tints. Lime curd and white flowers on the nose. Palate shows similar characters with the addition of baking pastry and a seaside minerality, adding complexity and character to the flow. Acidity works well in the …

Light yellow-straw colour; nougat aromas, toasted nuts and honey, the palate delicate, refined, high-acid and tangy, refreshing and bright on the tongue. A vibrant and intense, piercingly focused wine that lingers long and refreshes. The fruit is doing most of …

Sassafras, bing cherry, licorice root and orange balm. Filigreed tannins and a diaphanous weave of freshness and pungency, with a moreish core of porcini dashi. Yet the end result is a lighter weighted pinot in an Australian context. Refreshing enough, …

Smoked charcuterie notes are muddled with cardamon, dill and white pepper, conferring a savory tone without straying into verdancy. Red cherry, orange zest and rhubarb. A lovely mid-weighted pinot, fleet of foot and balletic. A refined kit of sinuous tannins, …

This expressive wine displays impressive purity of fruit with excellent volume of dark cherry, dried herbs and terracotta aromas which are still tightly coiled and building. Quite structural in style with flavours of red earth and ironstone topped by a …

Lovely generous aromas of berry compote, damp earth, truffle and spice are seamless intertwined with quality French oak. It then takes a more savoury turn with touches of wood smoke, freshly turned earth with spicy, stalky tones building towards a …

I had to double-check the vintage on this wine but it’s definitely a 2023 in 2023. Not that there’s anything greatly unusual about that.

Pear, lemon, a little flint, and sprays of hay and sawdust. Pure of fruit and integrated …

For 72 HOURS ONLY, we offer you a special 6-pack with two bottles each of our summer new releases, with over 15% discount!

2 x 2019 DAOSA Blanc de Blancs

2 x 2023 Tapanappa Eden Valley Riesling

2 x 2023 …

2017 Tiers Chardonnay is an exquisite expression of the unique Piccadilly Valley terroir

from a great vintage.

Pale green gold in colour, 2017 Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay has refined and fresh stone fruit aromas and flavours of white peach and …

The colour of the 2023 Tapanappa Eden Valley Riesling is pale green-yellow. Typical of Eden Valley Riesling, this Riesling has jasmine floral aromas with a hint of anise. There is more than the usual amount of lime-citrus because of the…

*SOLD OUT*

The late ripening of a small crop in perfect, cool, dry and sunny conditions, has again defined a very special Chardonnay, from Pat and Ted’s Vineyard on Mount Bonython in the distinguished Piccadilly Valley terroir. 

The 2023 Piccadilly …

2020 Foggy Hill Pinot Noir is a low-crop, cool vintage expression of the Foggy Hill terroir.

The wine is translucent with a purple-red hue. The aroma is floral with dark plum and blueberry fruits and the faint spice of stalks.…

This more generous vintage of Tapanappa Shiraz from 2018 delivers layers of dark cherry, fennel seed and cocoa aromas with fine oak well integrated. There is an excellent mix of power and subtlety to follow, flavours of fruit pastille and …

This controlled and well pitched Adelaide Hills Shiraz delivers ample blackberry, mulberry and liquorice aromas with a strong undercurrent of clove and allspice complexity. Compact and understated, it’s quite seamless now, the spicy aged complexity rising up in a plush …

This vineyard was planted on the Fleurieu Peninsula by Brian Croser 20 years ago and it quickly established a reputation for high class Pinot Noir. The 2022 was the outcome of a low cropping, cool vintage, which is reflected in …

This patch of Dijon clones sits in shallow soils on an ironstone ridge that generally means lower crops and earlier ripening. A combination of chalky limestone with an ever so slightly ferruginous character seems to come straight from the soils …

From a small area planted 1979, then replanted with Dijon clones on a very close 1.5m spacing, the fruiting wire only 50cm above ground level. The yellow grapefruit is almost painfully intense and mouth-watering, the finish hypnotic.

Drink to 2042…

Brian Croser’s flagship Pinot Noir, comes from just ten rows of Dijon clones, 777 and 115, planted in the Foggy Hill Vineyard on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The name might sound a bit like a spell from Harry Potter (who among

Brian Croser is one of Australia’s most innovative and legendary winemakers, a reputation forged over decades. At the Foggy Hill Vineyard on the Fleurieu Peninsula, he has turned his hand to Pinot Noir. This example is from the fine 2022

A quite different beast to the ’22 pinot noir: more subtle, refined fragrance, less fruity, more structural, with layers of fine tannin and a great sense of restrained power.…

Like the chardonnay, this deceptively fresh, juicy and youthful pinot is a joy to drink now – all snappy cherry fruit – but will drink well and develop for a decade at least.…

Scintillating chardonnay, so pure, fresh and intense, with crystalline focus and thrilling presence. Ravishing now, in its youth, but will mature beautifully over many years.…

Mealy nose and fine, precise fruit and acidity – just the right side of austerity! Needs time. But is impressively long.

…

Dark, impenetrable ruby and purple with a complex and savoury edged nose of violets, cassis, grilled cherry and plum, dried oregano, hints of mint tea, fig leaf, roasted meat, cedar, tobacco, graphite and a lift of sumac. Lots going on!…

Two decades after embarking on a passion project atop a foggy hill, Brian Croser is pouring wines that show the benefits of cooler vintages. From the upcoming Young Rich issue, out on October 27.

Max Allen Drinks columnist

I first …

The inaugural Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries selected by Campbell Mattinson is a celebration of the best wineries of right now. Below is the list of wineries ranked from 26 to 50 from across Australia.

“In short, this is a list of …

It was a cool vintage but there’s plenty of weight to this release. There are ample twiggy spice notes too, or variations thereof, which is interesting given that the grapes were completely destemmed. Mace, green but fragrant herbs, and plum notes that …

This is an outstanding release. The combination of attractive strawberry and spice characters with firm tannins and exceptional length is enough to get any pinot lover’s heart racing. The flavours here really do soar on and on. Assertive tannin feels totally uncompromised, …

Medium deep colour. Perfumed strawberry pastille hint chinotto aromas with savoury notes. Well concentrated strawberry pastille, cola, touch apricot flavours and supple textures. Finishes slinky and long. Lovely vinosity, complexity and mineral length.

95 points

…