Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard 2023 Chardonnay

The Tiers Vineyard was planted in 1979, the first vineyard in the Piccadilly Valley since the 19^th century. The vineyard is close spaced and vertical canopy, the first of this quality focussed design in Australia. The clone of Chardonnay in “old” Tiers is of unknown origins but probably relates to the first introduction of Chardonnay vines to Australia in the 19^th century.

Cool like the 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages before it, the 2023 vintage in the Piccadilly Valley was the lowest crop and the coolest of the four. The 2023 vintage gave a heat summation of 1093C-days, versus the long-term average of 1135C-days. We have now had four successive cooler vintages, 2020 to 2023, after the near unrelenting warmth of the previous decade of vintages.

The Chardonnay crop was very modest in the Tiers old block at 3.3 tonnes/hectare.

The grapes in the 42-year-old Tiers Vineyard ripened in still and cool air, sunny conditions, ideal autumnal weather and just before a rain event.

Tiers Vineyard old block yielded up its exceptional quality fruit on the 12^th and 13^th of April, two weeks later than average and one of the latest ever.