2025 ChaLou Chardonnay, Orange

Hand harvested and whole-bunch pressed, wild fermented in oak and matured on lees from a single-site estate vineyard. Aromatically pure and bright, evocative of freshly laundered sheets billowing on the line, with lotus and star jasmine unfolding with quiet clarity. Chantilly-like cream meets pomelo and Calippo-bright lemon sorbet, bringing both lift and gloss. The palate carries a gentle Greek yoghurt creaminess, layered with almond halva richness and a fine dusting of nutmeg and ginger spice. There is persistence in its drive and tension, held confidently through a composed, creamy mid-palate. A wine of precision and intent, where purity and texture move in unison. Drink to 2032.

96 points Special Value Shanteh Wale for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

Nadja Wallington and Steve Mobbs are the winemakers and real-life couple behind ChaLou. A bud-to-bottle winery, all fruit is grown in their six-hectare home vineyard in the cool-climate Orange at an elevation of 900 meters on rocky, volcanic soils. Their farm is also home to sheep and a small flock of horses, and apart from vines, also provides in form of a fruit orchard and a market garden.

The wines show purity and expressiveness that is often hard to describe in words. They are ethereal yet with strong, interesting personalities that reveal themselves in textural layers to those willing to stop and listen. This is possibly the most interesting address for wine in Orange right now.

This wine has not been fined or filtered and is vegan friedly. Minimal sulfur was used at bottling.