Author: Huon Hooke
Source: therealreview.com
Date: Tuesday August 23, 2016
Link: http://www.therealreview.com/2016/08/23/terre-a-terre-treats/
Terre à Terre is the label of Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser, and draws its grapes from their own Crayères vineyard in the Wrattonbully region – north of Coonawarra. Lucy is a daughter of Brian and Ann Croser of Tapanappa (tastings) and formerly Petaluma (tastings); Xavier is a son of the late Christian Bizot, former head of Champagne Bollinger (tastings).
It is a union of two distinguished wine families from two great but very different winemaking countries. Terre à Terre literally means ‘down to earth’, which is also the name of the second-label of Terre à Terre.
Xavier is the winemaker and all the wines are vinified in the Tapanappa winery in Spring Gully Rd, Piccadilly – the former Petaluma winery and site of the home vineyard of Brian and Ann Croser. The Terre à Terre wines are very good and improving all the time, as the vines mature.
My latest shiraz tasting – of about 150 wines – includes the Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Shiraz 2014 (AUD $39 – tasting), which is a deliciously soft, spicy, meaty, modern shiraz style. It drinks well young and will certainly age for a good 15+ years.
Terre à Terre also produces a cabernet sauvignon (tastings), a cabernet franc (tasting) and a Piccadilly Valley blanc de blancs sparking wine named Daosa (tastings). The latter is rapidly establishing itself as one of the region’s top bubblies. Stay tuned for a report on a recent Adelaide Hills sparkling wine event, which showcased the wines of 12 producers and was a real eye-opener.
Also in my latest uploads is the Terre à Terre Blanc 2015 (AUD $32 – tasting), whose name is a bit coy, but does leave you guessing, as the wine is not obviously varietal. In fact, it is sauvignon blanc, but the wine should be approached as a dry white without reference to the cépage. It is a delicious wine: serve it blind to someone who is a noted sauvignon blanc-hater and watch them enjoy it!
