Recognition

A riper wine that has more inherent fruit richness on the nose. Lower acidity on the palate with very plush melon and nectarines. No citrus and the oak is more discreet. More fruit flesh and power. Smooth and glossy. Drink …

2015 Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay

Bright, light to medium yellow colour with a fresh, clean, bright bouquet of cashew nut, pear and creamy lees, with quite strong oak. The wine is full-bodied and rich, deep and intense, with amplitude and balance,

A very refined, fruit-driven, almost Chablis-like style. Stony nuances just add to that perception. Lees, subtle oak, and some buttery touches contribute to a complex wine. Restrained intensity, and it responds well to airing.

94 points

Stonefruit, white flowers, almond meal, almost a mint perfume, and fine spicy oak. Medium bodied, ripe fruit, but with citrus and firm flinty texture as a foil, almond gloss, intensity, and a huge push through the finish with ripe lemon

Of three fine Tapanappa chardonnay iterations, ranging from $39 to $79, this comes from a small close-spaced section, clonally selected – we’re getting into deeply serious wine craft here – where the result is distinctively different, its white stone fruit