2024 Nick O'Leary Tumbarumba Chardonnay

Nick O’Leary is best known for his benchmark Canberra District reds and Rieslings, but he steps across the border into the snowy foothills of Tumbarumba for his Chardonnay. He sources fruit from three of the region's pioneering high-altitude vineyard sites, where the cooler mountain air naturally delivers great structural definition without needing heavy manipulation in the cellar.  

The 2024 vintage highlights his preference for a style that sits squarely between lean, modern austerity and the generous, texturally driven styles of the past. The handpicked grapes went whole-bunch pressed into French oak barriques for a wild fermentation, followed by full malolactic conversion and constant weekly lees stirring.  

Instead of showing aggressive, simple green apple notes, it hits with complex layers of citrus oil, roasted nuts, and fuzzy yellow stone fruit. The texture is generous, creamy, and distinctively tactile, backed by a flinty, smoky matchstick complexity that carries right through a long, savoury finish.

Great buying to be had here!