Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

The name “Tapanappa” is inspired by the 550-million-year-old geological formation that underlies the Fleurieu Peninsula where the Croser family have a coastal property and their newest vineyard, Foggy Hill. The word Tapanappa is derived from the local aboriginal language, implying “sticking to the path”. This is exactly the philosophy Brian Croser has employed in selecting his Distinguished Sites matching the climate, soil, and geology of a location to the right varieties and fastidiously managing the vineyard to make unique Australian “terroir” driven wines.

This tasting note is one of those rare opportunities to describe a truly wonderful wine, better than almost all that has gone before. The delayed ripening of a very small crop in perfect cool, dry and sunny conditions, has defined a very special Chardonnay from the unique and distinguished Tiers Vineyard terroir. The colour is pale lemon green. The aroma is immediately intense, fresh, and appealing, mainly of the primary fruit, sweet ripe nectarine with a hint of yeast cashew and oak spice. The aroma compels the need to taste, which amplifies the intensity, freshness, budding complexity, mouth-filling fruit sweetness, and texture, and finally the cutting-edge acid and slight grapefruit finish of a wine that nearly defies description beyond “wow”. You may think I have overreached. Just try the wine for yourself. 2020 Tiers Chardonnay is “a very special vintage of a unique wine defined by a truly distinguished vineyard terroir”.