2024 Gentle Folk Piccadilly Chardonnay

Piccadilly is often called the Grand Cru pocket of the Adelaide Hills, and this new single-vineyard release from Gareth Belton shows exactly why. Sourced from the St James Vineyard, just below Mount Lofty, it’s a site that combines altitude, old vines, and complex soils of clay, sandstone and quartz - the perfect recipe for powerful yet refined Chardonnay.

The 2024 vintage was low yielding but beautifully balanced, producing fruit of exceptional concentration and drive. The resulting wine has that signature Piccadilly tension: citrus and white peach at its core, hints of melon and hazelnut, and a fine streak of flinty minerality running through it. There’s weight and generosity, but the acidity keeps everything humming.

Whole-bunch pressed and wild fermented, it spent 11 months in French oak (20% new) before a brief rest in tank ahead of bottling. The oak sits quietly in the background, adding shape and polish without dulling the brightness of the fruit.

This is classic Hills Chardonnay at its most complete - poised, textural and full of energy.

96 points
"This is flashy yet refined, with aromas of struck match, grilled lemons, slate and salted nuts. The palate is textural and mid-weighted, with fine-boned acidity and a plush texture. A refined and pure expression of Piccadilly chardonnay. Drink or hold."
- Ryan Montgomery (James Suckling)