Grosset Piccadilly Chardonnay 2003
In a review of the Top 21 Chardonnay Recent Vintages, a special tasting reported in Gourmet Traveller Wine, Summer 2004-05, the 2003 Grosset Piccadilly Chardonnay shared top billing with three Margaret River Chardonnays, all scoring 96 points out of a possible 100. This rating raises some interesting questions because there is, of course, a significant difference in wine style between Margaret River and the Adelaide Hills. The Piccadilly Valley sub-region is particularly distinctive as is made clear not only in the tasting notes here but also in the Gourmet Traveller Wine panel’s review: ‘Grosset’s 2003 vintage showed the kind of steely, high acid style that should age very well, smelling of hazelnut cream and fresh cashews. All the tasters remarked on the finesse and refinement of this wine, talking of its grapefruit, lemon drops, cashew and ginger aromas and penetrating, tight, pure citron palate…’
The Piccadilly Chardonnay is 100% barrel fermented in French oak barriques. The yeast lees were stirred for the first six months with only half the barrels allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation for greater complexity. The wine was then left on lees in barrel for a further five months.
Reviews
Lisa Perotti-Brown www.erobertparker.com 4 March 2010
Notes of peaches ‘n cream, pineapple pastry, hazelnuts and buttered oatmeal on the nose. The palate has that signature high level of acidity giving freshness to the rich, medium to full bodied weight. Wonderful silken texture and a very long finish. 92 points
Jeremy Oliver ‘Onwine’ July 2004
Seamlessly elegant chardonnay with a complex and restrained bouquet of peach, melon and grilled nuts, fine-grained vanilla oak and a hint of lanolin. Its stylish, silky palate presents a bright core of peach, nectarine and tropical fruit delivered with a delicate, fluffy texture. Tightly knit with creamy oak and fine phenolics, it’s the finest chardonnay yet from this maker. 19/20 points
Robert Parker ‘The Wine Advocate’ (USA) Issue 161 31 October 2005
Grosset’s 2003 Chardonnay Piccadilly is consistently one of the finest Chardonnays made in Australia, and the medium to full-bodied 2003 reveals a restrained use of wood along with notes of poached pears intermixed with lemon, butter and ripe apples. A supple texture, fresh acidity, and wonderful finesse, texture and length result in an exceptional offering that should drink well for several years. 92 points
