2025 ChaLou Pinot Noir, Orange

Bright and fragrant with cherry, cranberry and raspberry, rose petals, fresh herbs and spice. The palate is light and finely tuned with juicy fruit, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Grown at 900 m elevation, bringing plenty of freshness. Drink or hold.

94 points Ryan Montgomery for James Suckling, September 2026

Predominantly clones 667 and 777, with smaller amounts of 114 and 115; 50% whole bunch and the remainder whole berry; 10% new oak. There is a real definition of small berries here, with blueberry and ripe Marion berry, taut black-skinned plum, a rustic note of oregano and moist dirt. Assertive acidity and lacy tannins knit together. The soft fernery of the whole bunch plays well. Drink to 2030.

93 points Shanteh Wale for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

Bright, medium depth red tinted with purple, the bouquet is all about smoky charcuterie and cooked vegetable aromas, with some pencilly oak, while the palate is quite light and bright, with moderate intensity and good balance, finishing with a savoury lick of tannin. Moderate persistence; attractive complexity. Drink to 2032.

90 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, June 2026

Bilberries, mulberries and black plums compete for your attention on the nose that also shows hints of savoury herbs and freshly tilled moist earth. The palate is tight-lipped on release, with lacy tannins and firm acids holding together the dark fruit.

This cool-climate Pinot vibrates with the coiled energy of Early Spring. It is a chameleon-like bridge for a modern communal table, pairing spectacularly with Cantonese-style roast duck served with pickled wild plums. The wine’s firm, unyielding acidity and structural stem-influence gracefully pierce through the rich, melting fats of the bird, while the dark plum and herbal undercurrents latch perfectly onto the aromatic five-spice.

Uncorking on a weeknight? Skip the stove and pick up a box of pan-fried pork and chive dumplings. The Pinot's tight structure and bright, structural crunch cleanly cut the pan-fried gelatinous dough, while its savory, tilled-earth tones beautifully anchor the pungent, green punch of the chives.

More about this wine

ChaLou is the project of Nadja Wallington and Steve Mobbs, two winemakers who met studying at Charles Sturt and spent years working across Australia and overseas, before reuniting in Orange in 2014, working for Philip Shaw and Cumulus, respectively. The former Sassy vineyard in Orange became their home in 2020, with fruit from the 2021 vintage launching the Chalou name on labels. The 2025 Halliday Dark Horse Winery award was well-earned for what must be one of the freshest voices in NSW wine.

The vineyard sits on volcanic soils with a mixture of sandstone, siltstone, basalt and andesite. The 2025 season was favourable for Orange, with a long, dry season providing ideal conditions for all varieties.

This wine is a blend of for Pinot clones grown in two blocks on the home vineyard. The grapes were left to cold soak for four days prior to fermentation with native yeast, with 40% included as whole bunches. The ferment was left on skins post fermentation to build savoury interest and depth before being pressed to oak barrels with fine solids for malolactic fermentation. The wine was not fined, with minimal filtering and sulfur prior to bottling.