Tapanappa 2025 The Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay

 

Great vineyards show their mettle in the most difficult of years. The Tiers Vineyard - one of the first planted in the Adelaide Hills - is in the coolest, wettest location in South Australia and is perfectly suited to chardonnay; with a micro-climate similar to that of Burgundy. It generally produces elegant, subtley shaded wines. Except that 2025 was the warmest, driest and earliest vintage veteran winemaker Brian Croser has seen in his 56-year winemaking career. The result is a wine slightly bigger than normal but still reflective of the vineyard. Think nectarine/white peach notes, barrel ferment, subtle oak and yeasty/lees notes - but still with a vibrant acid finish. With the help of early picking, the vineyard conquered the season. Pair with roast pork and crackling. $110. https://tapanappa.com.au/   

Tapanappa 2025 Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay

Made by veteran wine industry guru Brian Croser from fruit grown in a 40+-years-old vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, this is a chardonnay that neatly straddles power and precision. From a warm, dry year, the grapes were picked earlier than ever before but the fruit miraculously retained high acid levels. The end result is a riper, richer iteration of this wine with intense stone-fruit flavours to the fore, but smart winemaking has resulted in brightness and texture with finishing acid that offers immediate drinking pleasure. Pair this with a roast pork and crackling. Superb! $60. www.tapanappa.com.au       

Longview 2023 Yakka Shiraz

Sometimes a wine comes as a nice surprise. You have a sip; then another sip. not thinking too much about it it. Then you notice the bottle has suffered from an evaporation issue. This is just such a wine. It's not flashy, it's just a darn good drink. Well priced, too. From Macclesfield on the edge of the Adelaide Hills, made from fruit grown on a proven vineyard that gets plenty of sun. The end result is a mix of berry and dark plum flavours, subtle hints of herbs and oak with a palate that finishes soft, long and smooth with just hint of spice/earthiness to elevate the experience. Lovely stuff. Ideal midweek drinking. $32.  https://www.longviewvineyard.com.au/  

Ekin 2025 Sauvignon Blanc

This is a new-release Adelaide Hills savvy with an eye-catching label that is a good choice for enjoying chilled as the days start to become longer and warmer. It has a similar flavour profile to some of its Kiwi siblings with green tinges on the nose, fresh. tangy topical fruit fruit flavours, and bright, shiny acid on the palate. A wine where it is very easy to enjoy a second glass, and perhaps a third. You could pair this anything from a prawn pizza to a Thai glass noodle salad. It is Vegan friendly, unoaked and made for immediate enjoyment. A fun wine at a very fair price. $25. https://ekinwineco.com.au/  

Shaw + Smith 2025 Sauvignon Blanc

It may be released in mid winter each year but this is an Australian classic that offers all the joys of spring. I have seen virtually all of the 36 vintages and this is one of the best; vital with youthful joie de vivre. Cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith first released this wine before the Marlborough savvy boom - and were ahead of the curve as the style became all the rage. The grapes are sourced largely from estate vineyards at Balhannah and Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills and the wine reflects the cool regional climate with its classic fruit profile, zingy unoaked freshness and balanced acid. Drink within two years; and serve well chilled with anything from whitebait to lobster. Deliciously refreshing. $35. https://www.shawandsmith.com.

Pike & Joyce 2024 Ceder Riesling

The Pike family has a big reputation for the high-quality wines at makes in the Clare Valley. What is less well known is that since 1998 it has partnered with the Joyce family to also produce wines in the cooler Adelaide Hills. This excellent riesling made from fruit grown at Lenswood is a fine example; slightly more textural than the Clare rieslings but impressively clear, aromatic and fresh with green apple and citrus notes on the palate. Energetic and minerally, it paired beautifully with swordfish steaks in a lemon butter sauce, but the folk at Pike & Joyce recommend enjoying with fresh Coffin Bay oysters. $32. https://pikeandjoyce.com.au/