After years of building a reputation for alternative cool-climate varieties, Adelaide Hills favourite Hahndorf Hill is adding a new classic to the lineup.
For the first time in the winery’s 24-year history, Hahndorf Hill has released a Chardonnay, with the debut vintage led by newly appointed winemaker Kelly Wellington.
The 2025 Hahndorf Hill Chardonnay is an exciting addition for the winery, introducing a new expression to its portfolio while staying true to the cool-climate character and sense of place that have defined Hahndorf Hill since its beginnings.
Kelly has a long-standing connection with Chardonnay, which made the decision to explore the variety almost inevitable.
“Nearly everywhere I’ve worked, there has been Chardonnay. It is a great measure of place,” she shared. “It’s a variety that divulges everything about site and climate, and is totally revealing in terms of your winemaking.”
With almost two decades of experience across some of Australia’s most respected cool-climate wine regions, including the Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley and Grampians, Kelly has crafted everything from Pinot Noir and Shiraz to sparkling wines. Yet Chardonnay has remained a favourite and at the heart of her winemaking philosophy.
Kelly says the variety offers something few others can. “Chardonnay from Australia has a global wine audience, telling the world who we are and where we come from. If I am telling the story of Hahndorf Hill in the beautiful cool-climate Adelaide Hills, Chardonnay has to be part of it.”
Rather than producing a heavily worked style, Kelly has taken a restrained approach for the winery’s first release, allowing the fruit and vineyard to speak for themselves.
Carefully fermented with subtle oak influence, the wine balances freshness and texture with understated complexity, showcasing the bright acidity and elegant fruit profile for which Adelaide Hills Chardonnay has become renowned.
The release also signals an exciting new direction for Hahndorf Hill as it continues to evolve its range of site-driven cool-climate wines under Kelly’s leadership.
While the winery has long been celebrated for embracing lesser-known European varieties and producing distinctive Adelaide Hills wines, the addition of Chardonnay feels like a natural progression rather than a departure. It’s also a statement of confidence, both in the region and in Kelly’s vision for what comes next.
The inaugural release offers the chance to taste a new chapter in Hahndorf Hill’s story, shaped by one of Australia’s most expressive grape varieties and a winemaker who has spent years perfecting her approach to it.
The 2025 Hahndorf Hill Chardonnay is available now through the winery’s cellar door and online, giving visitors another reason to head for the Adelaide Hills and discover what’s pouring at one of the region’s most innovative wineries.
To shop the 2025 Hahndorf Hill Chardonnay, click here.
