Petaluma Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2023

A youngster, coiled and tight. It needs time to open, to spread its vinous wings. Don’t over-chill and enjoy the delicacy of aromas and fruit flavours: grapefruit, lemon, fresh-cut green apple and hints of nectarine with almond meal. Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills is one of the country’s prized Chardonnay districts and champions the modern, cool climate expression of the grape. This was put to the test in 2023 when rain at vintage raised Botrytis as a threat. This Chardonnay was picked early – 12.5% alcohol – and, hence, the delicacy on display and the almost sharp nature of the acidity. It’s one for the cellar, or a wine to be enjoyed at the table, particularly with shellfish. And don’t overchill.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic