Recognition

This wine is a product of a very cool vintage in Wrattonbully, which in many ways suits the style of wines that Brian Croser is making. It’s a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up more than half the blend, with contributions from Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Shiraz. It has a delicious aroma, displaying bright red fruits with deeper mulberry and some nice blackcurrant characters,

 » Read more about: “A super elegant wine, stylish and most polished.” 95 Points | Ray Jordan | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Cabernets Merlot Franc 2021  »

Dark ruby with a purple hue and a seductive nose of violets, potpourri, black plum, roasted fig, cherry, mixed red and black berries, tobacco, tapenade, roasted peppers, eucalyptus and sweet garrigue.

In the mouth it’s effortless, finely structured, impeccably balanced and elegant with purity and depth of fruit that’s been lovingly kissed by oak spice,

 » Read more about: “A glorious Aussie ‘Bordeaux’ blend from Wrattonbully” – Wine Worth Writing About – Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Cabernets Merlot Franc 2021  »

For those with long memories, the rise of the Wrattonbully wine region will come as a sweet postscript to one of the biggest legal battles over regional boundaries ever fought in this country concentrating on Coonawarra. At the centre of that battle was Brian Croser. It is poetic justice that saw him buy a vineyard on land that ceased to be Coonawarra as a result of the court case and became the Wrattonbully wine region.

 » Read more about: “Lovely, memorable and fitting” – 95 Points | Jeni Port | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Cabernets Merlot Franc 2021  »

The decision to re-release the 2015 red blend is deliberate. The year, a cool vintage, is intended as a comparison with the new release 2021 Whalebone Vineyard red blend, also from a cool year. The comparisons are there (minus, of course, the role of Cabernet Sauvignon in this instance), especially the juiciness of the fruit which is still very evident and quite fresh.

 » Read more about: “Mixed with freshness and a slow developing complexity” – 94 Points | Jeni Port | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Merlot Cab Franc 2015  »

The word exceptionalism was invented to describe the USA as an economic entity, or at least to describe the way it used to be. 

Now the word has morphed to apply to the whim of the weather gods for the 2025 vintage in South Australia. 

I have always advocated that every vintage is different and after 56 of them in South Australia and many elsewhere,

 » Read more about: Exceptionalism – 2025 Vintage Report  »

Whalebone Vineyard was first planted in 1974 as the Koppamurra Vineyard.

1974 was the peak of the real-estate frenzy in Coonawarra as the large wine companies of the era (Mildara, Penfolds, Wynns, Lindemans) outbid one another for the scarce resource of red soil over limestone on the recognised Coonawarra cigar shaped ridge.

 » Read more about: The Venerable Whalebone Vineyard  »

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 you excited, but for the future more than the present. Grapefruit, white nectarine and white peach sit above cashew,

 » Read more about: “It’s tight and focussed.” – 96 points | Tom Kline | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

Named on account of the 1.5 metre spacing between vine rows. Fresh, tightly wound and elegant aromas of white peach and cedar kick things off, followed by green apple, Meyer lemon, peach blossom, nectarine pulp and cinnamon. There’s a taut and coy feel to the palate at this stage of its life, though with restrained power keen to unfurl in time.

 » Read more about: “Will shine following a decade in cellar.” – 95 points | Tom Kline | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

High quality cedar oak sits confidently here, melding with fresh cut nectarine, quince, peach skin, kumquat and red apple with some savoury cashew cream beneath. There’s a lot of impact aromatically thanks to good concentration and balance. The palate is fresh and precise in its fruit profile which mirrors the nose, cascading through the mouth with intensity and drive.

 » Read more about: “This is fulsome and fresh, powerful but elegant.” – 94 points | Tom Kline | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2024  »

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 to the hectare. French oak barrique (1/3 new) fermentation before barrel ageing until November of 2024.

 » Read more about: “There’s flesh, there’s tension, there’s drive.” – 96 points | Regan Drew | Vino Notebook – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

2024, though slightly warmer continued a run of cool vintages. French oak barriques (1/3 new) for fermentation (2 months through Autumn). Barrel aged on full lees until October 2024, before racking off and then a November bottling.

Pale lemon colour with green highlights. Class and nuance. White stone fruit, brioche, lemon/lime citrus, wet quartz stones,

 » Read more about: “It’s tense, tight and built for the ages.” – 95 points | Regan Drew | Vino Notebook – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

The Piccadilly Valley is ‘entry’ level for this exquisite range of Chardonnay. 2024 another cool vintage like the 4 before it, but marginally warmer with a modest crop of 4 tonnes per hectare on the 30 year old vines.

Medium-light straw with green highlights. Layered and complex. White chocolate, green apple, white nectarine,

 » Read more about: “Layered and complex.” – 94 points | Regan Drew | Vino Notebook – Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2024  »

There are few more committed or driven people in the Australian wine industry than Brian Croser. 

From the time he released the beautiful pristine rieslings under his Petaluma label back in the late seventies to his more recent focus on what he calls “Distinguished Sites” he has been focused on continuous improvement and refinement.

 » Read more about: Distinguished sites serve up a treat – Ray Jordan | Business News  »

Quite a bold and brassy chardonnay defined with spicy, cedary oak over peach and nectarine, red apple, grapefruit and banana notes, with touches of toffee apple in there, too. The richness feels apt and balanced, though one could suggest that this needs time to unfurl and soften with cellaring to see it more settled and reaching a further potential.

 » Read more about: “Quite a bold and brassy chardonnay” 93 Points – Mike Bennie | Halliday Wine Companion – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

Fruit is picked from a close-planted block that was planted in ’03. This is wonderful chardonnay – all finesse, tension, filigreed minerality, light, savoury undertones and pristine, bright green pear, nectarine and pink grapefruit freshness. Touches of nougat, sea spray and green almond in the mesh of characters here. A suggestion of flint and wet slate lend credence and complexity,

 » Read more about: “Very precise and energetic” 96 Points – Mike Bennie | Halliday Wine Companion – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

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 cashew, cinnamon toast, a touch of flinty minerality and red apple juiciness and a bit of crunch from that,

 » Read more about: “A generous wine done with aplomb.” 95 Points – Mike Bennie | Halliday Wine Companion – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

Pretty aromas of just-ripe white stone fruit, white flowers, grilled nuts, nougat, sweet spice, honey and green melon. The palate has lovely weight and texture, creamy, nutty and mouth-filling, with a core of nectarine, grapefruit and pithy, mineral acidty. Long, layered and sophisticated.

 » Read more about: “Long, layered and sophisticated.” 93 Points – Aaron Brasher | The Real Review – Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2024  »

Bright and vibrant in the glass. The aromas are lifted and layered, cashew nut, white stone fruit, nougat, melon skin and white flowers. Powerful and mouth-filling in flavour, but with fabulous balance and purity. There’s a seamlessness to the palate, the concentrated fruit and nutty oak working wonderfully together. Long and with real presence.

 » Read more about: “Long and with real presence.” 96 Points – Aaron Brasher | The Real Review – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

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 in and delivers shape, cut and drive. The finish is long and multi-dimensional. Very classy gear.

 » Read more about: “Fine, focused and layered in flavour.” 96 Points – Aaron Brasher | The Real Review – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

The 2024 Chardonnay leads with pineapple husk and green bananas, nectarine, crushed cashews and a puff of custard powder. In the mouth, the wine is creamy and fruit sweet, with taut acidity that vibrates throughout. I think this wine will be immeasurably better in six months or more, as it is veritably leaping out of the glass in its current state of youth.

 » Read more about: “Veritably leaping out of the glass” 92 Points – Erin Larkin | Robert Parker Wine Advocate – Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2024  »

The 2024 Chardonnay Tiers Vineyard 1.5m is floral and fine, creamy and detailed. The wine shows pressed white flowers, jasmine tea, something creamy like crushed hazelnuts and white chocolate, Golden Delicious apples and saffron. The Bernard clones 76 and 95 express with abundant citrus and yellow fruits, penetrating acidity and chalky phenolics. It’s a lovely wine.

 » Read more about: “Floral and fine, creamy and detailed.” 94 Points – Erin Larkin | Robert Parker Wine Advocate – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

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, and this 2024 iteration is no exception to that long-established rule. There are notes of crushed and salted nuts,

 » Read more about: “Thundering display of concentration and phenolic drive” 96 Points – Erin Larkin | Robert Parker Wine Advocate – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

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 – it isn’t noted on the taste. In fact, it is a refined expression, fresh in a burst of lemon and grapefruit citrus,

 » Read more about: “Well composed but compact” 96 Points – Jeni Port | Wine Pilot– Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

The use of 1.5m informs the drinker that a part of the vineyard has been close-planted – a 1.5 metre spacing between rows of vines – a fact that can excite some because of the suggestion of higher quality, amongst other more viticultural-related things. A tightly coiled, extra youthful Chardonnay expression emerges in ’24, a cool year,

 » Read more about: “A complex wine at the start of its life” 95 Points – Jeni Port | Wine Pilot– Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »