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Petaluma & Brian Croser

In 1976 Brian Croser, an Australian farmer's son, and graduate of agricultural science (University of Adelaide) and oenology (University of California at Davis), made his first vintage using top quality grapes purchased from local growers. The wines, which included small batches of wine made from Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay, garnered numerous medals, and by 1978 Croser moved to purchase land at Piccadilly, in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Here he planted Chardonnay, and from this fledgling operation sprang Petaluma, now one of Australia's most famous wineries. More than twenty years on the Adelaide Hills is the focus of investment by many Australian winemakers, Penfolds included, who have seen the potential for producing top-class Chardonnay in its humid and relatively cool climate.

Within a few years of Croser's first vintage his wines had come to the attention of Len Evans, guru of the Australian wine industry. Croser had taken up a post as consultant in the Evans Wine Company in 1977, and it is through this company, and his relationship with Len Evans, that Croser's influence and reputation spread. The Evans Wine Company, led by Evans and Peter Fox, purchased vineyards in Coonawarra and the Clare Valley, and these vines, together with those purchased by Croser at Piccadilly, provide the fruit for Petaluma's wines today. A modern winery was built at Piccadilly, in time for the 1979 vintage, and to this day it remains the production centre for the wines of Petaluma. In the mid 1980s, however, the company also purchased a defunct flour mill at Bridgewater, and this building now serves not only as a cellar for the maturation of Croser's wine, but also as a tasting and sales centre, as well as housing a restaurant and art gallery.

Croser's property in the Clare Valley (South Australia) is the Hanlin Hill vineyard, and this is now the sole source of fruit for use in Petaluma's Riesling. This is a high altitude (500m above sea level), south facing (which means cooler in the southern hemisphere), fairly dry vineyard. The wine produced is typical Clare Valley Riesling - floral and aromatic, but ripe, full bodied and powerful. At Coonawarra (South Australia), the Evans Vineyard is the source of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. This vineyard is at the northern end of the region, situated on the Terra Rossa soil which is responsible to some extent for the character of the wines produced here. Petaluma's Chardonnay, in my opinion the most distinguished wine of this trio, is sourced from the vines at Piccadilly (South Australia). The newest vines are in the Tiers Vineyard, planted around the winery itself, and these are the source of the fruit for Petaluma's premium wine, the Tiers Chardonnay.

Despite his success, Brian Croser has not limited himself to producing fine wines under the Petaluma label. As well as producing affordable varietal wines under the Bridgewater Mill label, capital raised from a share offer in 1992 permitted Croser to purchase Tim Knappstein Wines, a Clare Valley winery which produced a range of good quality varietal wines. In later years he moved further afield, purchasing Mitchelton (Goulburn, Victoria) in 1994, and then Smithbrook Wines (Western Australia) and Stonier's (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria) in 1998. At Petaluma he remains the winemaker and central figure, although the winery is now owned by brewing giant Lion Nathan. Croser can turn his attention to his other project, which now also includes a selection of eponymously named wines. (7/6/01)

Contact details:
Address: Mount Barker Road, Piccadilly, South Australia 5155
Telephone: +61 (0) 8 8339 9200
Fax: +61 (0) 8 8339 9299
Internet: www.petaluma.com.au

Petaluma - Tasting Notes

Tasted blind in September 2004. Click to locate stockists:

Petaluma Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, South Australia) 1994: Moderately dark hue. Perfumed, stony and elegant nose. Dense and mature though. Full, balanced, fluid and creamy palate. Good ripe structure. Fine acidity. This is impressive; delicious, approachable, yet serious. Drink over the next ten years. 17.5+/20

Tasted blind in June 2001:

Petaluma Riesling (Clare Valley, South Australia) 1997: A clear, yellow-gold wine with a hint of green tells me immediately that this is the Riesling. The aromatic nose has classic honeyed limes, very full and richly fruited. The palate is firm and full bodied, with strong acidity. Citrus and tropical fruit flavours through to the finish. Classic Clare Valley Riesling. Very good.

Petaluma Chardonnay (Piccadilly, South Australia) 1997: A firm, more meaty nose, with honeycomb, oatmeal and cinder toffee oak. Good Chardonnay fruit. Quite an elegant wine when it comes to the palate. Restrained but sufficient fruit, striking quite a nice balance with the clean acidity and oatmealy oak. Medium bodied, leading through to a soft finish. This is why the Adelaide Hills have become the hot spot for Chardonnay plantings. Very good.

Petaluma Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, South Australia) 1996: An intense, young, red-purple colour. Sweet blackcurrant pastille fruit on the nose, with a streak of liquorice and tobacco leaves. Quite a balanced palate, but with obvious staying power. Richly fruited with strong acidity, with the tannins coming into play on the midpalate. Brambly, peppery fruit. This wine still needs time. Very good.