Tapanappa 1.5M Vineyard Chardonnay 2022
- 95
- $59
- Drink by: 2023-2033
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From the legendary Tiers Vineyard, planted alongside the Old Block vines, these are close-planted, as the title implies, and tend to ripen a little earlier. As much as I enjoyed the Piccadilly Chardonnay, for me this is a real step up (making it cracking value in comparison). In 2003, Brian Croser and his team removed 1.3 hectares of the original Tiers vineyard, which was planted 1979, and replanted with the French Bernard clones 76 and 95, on their own rootstocks with spacing at 1.5 metres (and the fruiting wire at just 0.5 metres above ground). So far, the fruit tends to earlier ripening and fuller flavours and so, in 2015, they decided to bottle it discretely.
Pale lemon in colour, there is an early note of oak influence, but this is well on the way to full integration. Richer flavours here too; we have stonefruit, cashews, woodsmoke, melon and river stones with good early complexity. Even though we have riper and fuller flavours here, there is also an extra degree of refinement and subtlety. Very long with a gentle fade, this will provide pleasure for at least the next 6 to 10 years.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
