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.
Pale lemon hue. Fragrant and redolent with the richness of a slightly warmer year. Creamed honey, vanilla bean, pome (apple and pear) flesh, grilled white nectarine, cashew cream and raw nut, grapefruit flesh and juice with just a little toasty oak. For the ‘warmer’ vintage and the ABV, the structure and drive show no sign. Everything in place: There’s flesh, there’s tension, there’s drive. Bittersweet fruit gives such an addictive tartness that there’s an instant desire to return to the glass. Take your time.
