2022 About Time Echunga Chardonnay

About Time is the passion project of Adelaide locals Henry Borchardt and James McLeay – Henry makes the wine, James just really loves drinking Chardonnay – and together they’ve set out to craft small-batch, single-vineyard wines from the Adelaide Hills. The idea is simple: keep it honest, keep it expressive, and make Chardonnay they’re proud to pour themselves.

This release comes from a mature Echunga vineyard planted in the 90s, sitting at 400m altitude where warm days meet cool mountain air at night. The fruit was hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed, then fermented with wild yeasts in French oak hogsheads (about a quarter new). It spent 10 months on lees, with plenty of stirring to build texture, before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Only 180 cases were made.

The wine itself walks a neat line between freshness and weight – bright citrus and green apple flavours layered with savoury, nutty edges and a clean finish. It’s thoughtful without being overworked, a snapshot of both the site and the relaxed, no-fuss approach that defines About Time.

95 points
"Finesse, elegance, precision... Brilliant."
- Mike Bennie (Halliday Wine Companion)