Adelaide Hills – 700 dozen produced
This makes a powerful statement about how good chardonnay from the ultra-cool Piccadilly Valley can be. The Grosset Piccadilly, which has always drunk beautifully with age, is often shy and reserved on release. Not so here: with the riotously perfumed and intense, though delicate, primary flavours of nectarine and peach against a backdrop of hazelnut complexity.
This is refined yet exuberant with lively flavours and bright natural acidity on a fresh, crisp, pristine finish of impressive length. Delicious!
Ageing potential: Enjoy now or up to 7 years
Source: Piccadilly Valley, Adelaide Hills; coolest grape growing sub-region in South Australia. South facing (cool) site
Fermentation: Barrel fermented French oak barriques (40% new), 10 months, partial natural malolactic fermentation
Fruit Flavours: Honeydew melon, grapefruit, white peach
Profile: mineral, focused, fresh, refined
Fining: Nil – suitable for vegans and vegetarians
Date of Release: 1st October 2017
Award:
- Tyson Stelzer’s Australian & New Zealand Wines of the Year 2017: Top 20 Wines of the Year Under $70
Reviews:
Richard Hemming MW, “The best Australian tasting ever?”, 7 August 2018
Relatively restrained nose without as much fruit density as its peers, instead favouring a matchstick and gunflint style. Long and rich to finish, with some lovely white-pepper piquancy adding interest, and attractive toasted spices right on the finish. 17.5 Points.
Halliday Wine Companion 2018,
Fermented in French barriques (40% new) with partial mlf and 10 months’ maturation. The wine proclaims its provenance from the first whiff through to the finish. It is sublimely elegant and balanced, with white peach at the centre of its flavour spectrum, natural acidity providing an extra degree of length. This will grow another leg with 5 years’ bottle development. 97 Points.
Tyson Stelzer’s Australian & New Zealand Wines of the Year 2017
The gentle touch of Jeffrey Grosset lifts delicacy and fragrant perfume from Piccadilly, alive with lemon blossom, white peach and apple. There’s depth here, too, with fruit presence well underlined by understated, classy cashew nut French Oak. The focused line of cool Adelaide Hills acidity defines a very long and honed finish. Jeffrey may be more famous for Riesling, but his fastidious talents are equally adept in crafting exactingly refined chardonnay. 96 Points.
