2025 Sidewood Estate Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

Sidewood’s portfolio of 2025 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay is again on song given this first tier given this first tier Estate iteration, which shows both regional, varietal and winemaking interest from the very first approach. Sourced from several estate vineyards across the Hills’ central districts, is a warmer year than several preceding seasons, there’s a depth and richness in the aromatics, roasted peach, grilled cashew and Brazil nuts before yellow grapefruit juice tang energises the flow and freshens out the finish. An accessible and sparky expression of the region and variety. 

93 points Tony Love for Wine Pilot, July 2026

Light straw-yellow colour. Cashew nuts and soapy oak perfumes on the bouquet, the palate quite firm and intense but blunted slightly by tannins, There is refreshing acidity and bright fruit, and it probably needs a little more time to integrate fully. There is potential here: it just demands patience. Drink to 2032.

90 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, August 2026

The pressed free-run juice for this wine was fermented with endemic yeasts in French oak barrels of which 20% were new and matured for eight months on lees. The final blend is a barrel selection of the parcels deemed suitable for the style sought, with the wine bottled in January 2026.

About this producer

Sidewood Estate is a family-owned Adelaide Hills winery established in 2004 by Owen and Cassandra Inglis.

Their substantial, 110 hectares of vineyards are spread across four sites in Oakbank, Charleston, Echunga and Nairne and allow the winemaking team led by Dylan Lee to make a wide range of wines with a now enviable track record of excellence, all characterised by balance and elegance.

The vineyards and operations at large are certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, with ongoing practical measures in place to reduce carbon emissions and increase the recycling of resources on-site.