The JC's Own Lobethal Chardonnay 2025 is a tightly wound, savoury Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills, built around citrus and white stone fruit rather than sweet tropical richness. Grapefruit pith and a chalky, mineral edge give it a cool-climate feel that stays lively from first sip to last.

Aromatically the wine opens on white peach, lemon curd and nashi pear, with a flicker of struck flint and something faintly nutty behind the fruit. The palate follows through with nectarine and lime, a creamy midsection and a gentle brine-and-almond savouriness that keeps the fruit honest.

Structurally this is a Chardonnay with real drive. Acidity runs straight down the centre, the texture is fine and slightly waxy rather than plush, and the finish is long, dry and a touch grippy. Jaysen Collins makes the JC's Own range as his project label, working with growers across the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa, and the Lobethal fruit here is picked for tension rather than weight.

Serve it with grilled snapper, chicken poached with tarragon, a bowl of clams, or a wedge of young gruyère. It also handles roast pork belly better than most whites, thanks to that acid line cutting the fat.

Drink from now through to around 2031, with a year or two in the cellar likely to bring out more of the toasty, savoury side.