2025 Ochota Barrels Slint Chardonnay

The Slint is an electric Hills Chardonnay. Sourced from a high 550m site in the heart of the Piccadilly Valley - farmed by good mate to the Ochota family, Sam Virgara - these vines have been digging in since the 1980s. It’s proper cool-climate territory, and it shows in the glass.

For the 2025 release, Amber Ochota kept the usual winemaking program. The fruit was hand-picked in late February and pressed with full solids straight to Burgundian barrels (a mix of seasoned and shiny new oak) for a seven-month rest. It was fermented wild, of course.

It leads with mouth-watering grapefruit and nectarine, but there’s a savoury depth here too. Think mealy Granny Smith apple, beeswax and a hit of nougat spice. Svelte and tightly wound - with fewer than 3,000 bottles made, it’s a rare look at exceptional Adelaide Hills fruit treated with respect.