Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2020

Tapanappa founder/winemaker, Brian Croser, calls the 2020 vintage “unique.” Despite COVID, bushfires and a severe frost in his beloved Tiers Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, he uses the word in an upbeat way. Flowering and fruit set in the vines were affected by cold weather. That means a small crop. That’s a tick for potential quality. Then ripening occurred in ideal autumnal weather, “perfect cool, dry, sunny conditions.” All of this goes a long way towards explaining why this $39 chardonnay is a real zinger offering a celebration of beautiful fruit.

Honeysuckle, stone fruits, apple, mango skin and vanilla greet the nose. For me, the palate – creamy, leesy and long – is all about the mouthfeel, the way the wine streams over the tongue and lodges in the memory. It’s light on its feet, the acidity is filigree fine and the citrussy, melon fruit is juicy and fresh. It’s raring to go right now.