Chain of Ponds Reserve Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2025

This is a pretty tidy young Chardonnay that shows some reasonably sophisticated winemaking. The ferment was a mix of wild and cultured yeasts, with just a little malolactic fermentation to add creaminess and balance to the palate. It went into French oak puncheons and some hogsheads, and eight months on lees has added important palate richness and complexity. It all sits snugly together, with pure, minerally vibrancy on the palate a feature. It’s still reasonably tight at the minute, and an extra year or two should see it at its best.