Recognition

Tapanappa = great wine and from the fifth successive cool vintage, this Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay doesn’t disappoint.Fermented in French oak (33% new) and on full lees prior to bottling, the interest factor is plentiful.

It opens with custard powder, wafer biscuits, yellow grapefruit, white fleshed nectarines, grilled peaches, figs and old school lemonade before a lemony sherbet tang whips into gear.

 » Read more about: “A Chardonnay with plenty to absorb and admire” 94 Points – Q Wine Review– Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2024  »

Wow! This is something. I know many prefer the Tiers Chardonnay, but for the last two years I have leaned towards this 1.5m and I don’t apologise for it. Elegance and purity seep through this wine’s veins and I want it all.

Brian Croser describes 2024 as a model vintage and this release is tight and laser-like focused on opening.

 » Read more about: “Elegance and purity seep through this wine’s veins” 97 Points – Q Wine Review– Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

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 wound and I suspect it will be at its best around the five-year mark.

Brian Croser describes 2024 as a model vintage.

 » Read more about: “Concentrated and focused” 95 Points – Q Wine Review– Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

Focused, powerful and lifted aromas of citrus blossoms, jasmine tea, pome fruits, lime, grapefruit, nectarine, cashew, hazelnut, toasted oats, nougat, white pepper, ginger, sweet dusty spices and a touch of brine.
In the mouth it’s powerful, intense and has an immediate punch of flavour, acidity and tannin. Concentrated pome, apple warheads, peppery citrus, slightly bitter stonefruit,

 » Read more about: “Powerful, intense and has an immediate punch of flavour” – Wine Worth Writing About – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

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; streamlined, slender, precisely proportioned and powerfully poised. A concentrated drive of pure fruit and subtle spice flavours echo the nose,

 » Read more about: “Wonderful waltz between standoff-ish intensity, and endearing elegance” – Wine Worth Writing About – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

From a close planted block established in 2003. Bernard clones 76 and 95. It’s distinctly different to the Tiers old vine Chardonnay as a result, and I tend to think it’s the clonal selection that’s the biggest point of difference. Anyway, look at how well this wine has done at TWF over the years – 

 » Read more about: “Juicy and flavoursome” 95 points – Gary Walsh | Wine Front – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

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 and weight to this wine, though it’s still clearly ‘fine wine’. Pear, banana,

 » Read more about: “Clearly ‘fine wine’”94 points – Gary Walsh | Wine Front – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

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 opulence. Lots of nectarine, and cashew with a spicy pear edge to it. The fine chalky acid really holds the tension ensuring a defined and exceptionally long finish.

 » Read more about: “Rank up there with the best of the Tiers Vineyard chardies yet released”- 97 points | Ray Jordan | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

The close spaces planting of this part of the Tiers vineyard imparts a slightly different flavour and textural feel to the chardonnays from the old Tiers plantings. Intense aromas of tropical fruits, brioche and spices. The palate is ripe and textured although the chalky acid and light citrus edge hold the definition and line through to the long finish.

 » Read more about: “Supremely balanced”- 96 points | Ray Jordan | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2024  »

From a cool vintage, although not as cool as the ’23. This is a delightful chardonnay from the Piccadilly Valley with a vibrant freshness and energy which is complemented by the subtle stone fruit characters. Fine savoury notes with lemony chalky characters that balanced the beautifully pristine fruit. The finish is dry and slightly savoury.

 » Read more about: “Long and sustained”- 94 points | Ray Jordan | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2024  »

A lovely cool year with destemmed berries. Matured in one third new barriques for eight months. Satsuma plum, wild raspberries and Alpine strawberries. A cherry blossom prettiness and pulled paperbark earthiness. Dry powdery tannins surge forward providing a veil across the palate and allowing the nutmeg and cinnamon dust spice to dance. The wine is totally enthralling in its lacey tannin elegance and delicate dotted red fruit.

 » Read more about: “One of the prettiest vintages of this wine” 95 Points – Shanteh Wale | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Foggy Hill Pinot Noir 2023  »

The second release of the Definitus, sourced from a specific block within the Foggy Hill Northwestern slope. Here in the warmer vintage we see the aging potential of this unique bottling. Boysenberries, ironstone, cured meats and five spice. A potent Morello cherry core is woven with sumac and wattleseed spice. The palate takes on new life with real concentration of fruit and then a wonderland of sinewy tannins.

 » Read more about: “Real concentration of fruit and then a wonderland of sinewy tannins” 96 Points – Shanteh Wale | Wine Pilot – Tapanappa Foggy Hill ‘Definitus’ Pinot Noir 2018  »

The march towards ever more delicate versions of the Tapanappa Foggy Hill Pinot Noir continues. Each vintage, this Fleurieu Peninsula wine gets a little more contained, with a bit more Pinosity. That’s not saying the previous vintages of Brian Croser’s Pinot South Australian Pinot Noir opus haven’t looked like varietal, just that this wine can sometimes choose power over seduction.

 » Read more about: “Delivered with extra finesse and coolness”- 94 Points | Andrew Graham | OZ Wine Review – Tapanappa Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023  »

A warm and dry vintage for the region in 2019, which helped ensure that the Whalebone Vineyard, planted 45 years ago, had a very small yield. The wine is a blend of 85% Cabernet and 15% Shiraz. The Shiraz comes from the Crayères Vineyard. After destemming, the two varieties were fermented separately, after cold soaking.

 » Read more about: “An attractive style for drinking over the best part of the next decade.” 94 Points – SA Wine Guide 2025 | The Vintage Journal | Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Cab Shiraz 2019  »

Confusingly, this new, limited-edition model from the Croser stable is from Mount Barker SA, not the more common Mt Barker WA. Regardless it’s amazingly fragrant and exceptionally easy to drink despite its nearly 15 per cent. 9.5/10.

 » Read more about: “Amazingly fragrant and exceptionally easy to drink” 9.5/10 – Max Crus Wine Commentator – Tapanappa B&V Vineyard Syrah 2021  »

This is about as fashionable as merlot gets, however, just because you have money, doesn’t mean you have taste, in which case buy this to cover it up. Scrumptious red wine for the rich and fashionable. 9.5/10.

 » Read more about: “As fashionable as merlot gets” 9.5/10 – Max Crus Wine Commentator – Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Merlot Cab Franc 2019  »

There are very few Australian Pinot releases where you crack a bottle open and think, ‘This needs six years’. It just doesn’t happen. Bindi, maybe, some of the structured Yarra Pinot releases (Mount Mary sometimes), Bannockburn, By Farr, Domaine A. It’s a small collection. (I had a stab at a cellarworthy Pinot list many moons ago.

 » Read more about: “A little Maturity goes a long way” 94 Points – Andrew Graham | OZ Wine Review – Tapanappa Foggy Hill ‘Definitus’ Pinot Noir 2018  »

The red berry scent is complemented by hints of star anise, mint and high quality oak. Lingering varietal flavour carries the tannin firmness well. Needs 3-5 years.

 » Read more about: “Lingering varietal flavour carries the tannin firmness well.”- 4.5 stars | Lester Jesberg | Wine Wise – Tapanappa Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023  »

Grapes rotting on vines; billions of bottles’ worth of wine sitting in tank farms, wanted by no one. Australia’s inland bulk wine producers are in crisis, causing an image problem for the wider industry.

BRIAN CROSER claps a heavy hand on my shoulder and drags me in from the cold.

 » Read more about: CRUSHED HOPES  »

Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Tiers Vineyard (Alt. 450m) Chardonnay 2023, $110. About as much going on as a chardonnay can provide and all of it good. Somewhat lighter than exxy chardonnays are renowned, and better for it. Alas, few will discover what chardonnay can be, and true, it is merely different in the end and depends what you prefer,

 » Read more about: “About as much going on as a chardonnay can provide” 9.7/10 – Max Crus Wine Commentator – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2022  »

The 2022 Chardonnay is all class. It unleashes a mouthwatering torrent of stone fruit flavor on the palate, filling it with a rising tide of chalky phenolics, piercing fruit flavor, intense acidity, crushed nuts and brine. Awesome. At under $50 AUD, this is one of the great value premium Chardonnays in Australia.13.7% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

 » Read more about: “The 2022 Chardonnay is all class.” 94 Points – Erin Larkin | Wine Advocate | Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2022  »

The 2022 Chardonnay Tiers Vineyard 1.5m is exactly what I expected it to be: excellent. A piercing intensity of flavor is matched by the piercing (and juicy) acidity. It fills the mouth side to side with sapid, staining fruit and lingers long through the finish. A superstar wine. It’s got a massive reputation for a reason.

 » Read more about: “Exactly what I expected it to be: excellent.” 95 Points – Erin Larkin | Wine Advocate – Tapanappa Tiers 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2022  »

The Tapanappa 2022 Chardonnay Tiers Vineyard is one of Australia’s great Chardonnays, and that has never been more apparent than in this 2022 vintage. A superstar wine of grand proportions, the fruit has startling intensity in the mouth. The juicy acidity that weaves all elements of the wine together shows the pedigree of the site up in Piccadilly Valley (planted 1979).

 » Read more about: “A superstar wine of grand proportions” 97+ Points – Erin Larkin | Wine Advocate – Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2022  »

What a super wine this is. As we all know, good Chardonnay often comes at a price, given the necessary inputs required to come together. From quality oak, lower-yielding vines and often time spent maturing prior to release, it’s easy to see the costs mounting up; and for this reason, we go to premium producers who are able to realize the quality of the fruit within already existing winery structures.

 » Read more about: “Worth every cent of that” 94 Points – Erin Larkin | Wine Advocate | Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2023  »