2024 Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

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, too. Quite palate staining with its swish of sweet, liquified brown spice. A generous wine done with aplomb.

95 points Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

Tapanappa’s Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay is one of Australia’s most iconic cool climate white wines, crafted by veteran winemaker Brian Croser. The Tiers Vineyard, planted in 1979, was the first vineyard in the Piccadilly Valley and remains a reference point for Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. Sitting at around 450 metres above sea level, the site’s cool temperatures, abundant rainfall, and ancient red-brown loam over clay soils create ideal conditions for slow, even ripening, producing fruit of exceptional concentration and natural acidity. The vines are now mature, giving low yields and deeply flavoured grapes that translate into wines of remarkable finesse and longevity.

In the glass, the Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay is pale gold with green tinges. Aromatically, it shows white peach, nectarine, and Meyer lemon, supported by hints of cashew, flint, and delicate spice from French oak. The palate is finely structured yet generous, combining ripe stone fruit and citrus with creamy texture from barrel fermentation and extended lees contact. A spine of crisp acidity carries through to a long, mineral-laced finish. This is a wine that balances richness with precision, a hallmark of both the site and Croser’s winemaking style.

It pairs beautifully with pan-seared scallops, lobster in lemon butter, roast chicken with tarragon, or truffle-infused risotto. While drinking well in its youth for vibrancy and texture, it will reward 8 to 10 years of careful cellaring, developing greater savoury, nutty complexity over time.