The Piccadilly Valley is ‘entry’ level for this exquisite range of Chardonnay. 2024 another cool vintage like the 4 before it, but marginally warmer with a modest crop of 4 tonnes per hectare on the 30 year old vines.

Tapanappa, Chardonnay, Piccadilly Valley, 2025

Medium-light straw hue. Straw bale, grapefruit flesh, smoked chicken meatiness, tonic, peanut oil, lemon barley before richer and riper stone fruit, quince, white choc/coconut ball, balsa wood, dried fig and café latte creaminess. A wine of power and presence. Texturally sublime, with the winemaking supplying a fine drivetrain  for the long, persistent flavours. The vintage showing its hand with bigger than usual ripe peach fruit while retaining an unexpected sharp and long thrust of potent acidity. No denying the class of winemaking but it may need a little while for the acid to calm down. My points may seem miserly in the future.

RRP: $60
Alc: 14.5%
Rating: 93/100

Wine sample courtesy of Tapanappa