Patrick Sullivan Ada River Gippsland Chardonnay 2025

Patrick Sullivan Ada River Gippsland Chardonnay 

Region: Victoria, Australia

Vintage: 2025

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%

The nose is brimming with white peach, toasted hazelnut, citrus zest, delicate spice and a fresh mineral edge. The palate is generous and powerful, with texture filling the mid-palate. Bright, persistent acidity gives tension and energy with subtle oak as support. A distinctive mineral edge runs through the finish.

Patrick’s ‘Ada River’ Chardonnay comes from a vineyard planted in 1982 in the foothills of Mount Baw Baw at 300 metres elevation. The site is on deep volcanic soils on a basalt bedrock and is surrounded by forest, providing a natural windbreak from the harsh winds that come in from the snowfields. The vineyard is farmed sustainably and without irrigation, resulting in intense fruit concentration in the wine.

The fruit was hand harvested into 15kg baskets and transferred to the winery, then whole cluster crushed into the press and drained off into tank for settling. Primary fermentation took place in barrique (30% new) over three weeks followed by complete malolactic fermentation. Lees stirring occurred weekly until the completion of malolactic fermentation. The wine was then aged in barrique for ten months.

Patrick Sullivan makes single-vineyard Gippsland Chardonnay from ancient volcanic soils. The Halliday Guide describes him as “a top-tier exponent of the grape”, praising his “fine, classically styled, site-reflective wines made from the ground up with best-practice farming.”

https://patricksullivan.com.au