Translation missing: en.Top Australian Whites of 2025: Top Australian Whites of 2025

Australian Whites

The Wines that Excited us in 2025

Welcome to 2026! We are kickstarting this year with some highlights from 2025 that are worth trying if you haven't already and worth buying again if you already have! We are continuing the series with the Australian white wines that piqued our attention - stay tuned for more categories throughout January!

Crawford River Museum Riesling 2018

Crawford River have become one of the icons of the Australian wine landscape after making initial plantings in 1975 in the relatively unknown region of Henty in southwest Victoria. Crawford River run the vineyard with respect to sustainability and do not use any herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. The use of organic compost and mulching of their pruning canes helps maintain the soil health, carbon levels and biodiversity. Sheep will graze the grass after vintage and pruning to limit the need for additional tractor passes and naturally fertilising their soils. The site enjoys a cool, long and even growing season with moderating influence from the Southern Ocean which helps cool the hot summer days, while elongating ripening hours during the late Summer and Autumn ripening period. The site is planted in a natural amphitheatre with N-NW aspect on a gentle slope with duplex soils comprising gravelly loam or friable clay, over an ironstone-rich clay loam layer, ultimately lying above a limestone base. All of these aspects come together to help produce intense flavour profiles with maintaining sufficient acidity and balance. This wine represents one of their "Museum Releases" in which they hold it back at the winery in ideal cellaring conditions so that you can enjoy a perfectly aged bottle of Riesling!

Rich and round, this opens with a nose of petrol, white and yellow peaches, nectarine, apricot, chamomile and daisies. The palate has great phenolic weight with enough acidity to keep it all together. With a bit more air the petrol becomes more seamlessly integrated with the fruit and the acidity actually becomes more present. Long length with an almost basil leaf like note on the finish. Clearly deserves the status as one of, if not the best Aussie Riesling. - Aaron C.

Ossa Gruner Veltliner 2023

Ossa are a young estate with their first release in 2022 but have already captured the attention of wine nerds and drinkers around Australia. Based just outside of Swansea, the estate is massive, breath-taking and throughtfully planned to produce high-quality grapes. The distributor of these wines was generous enough to take me down on a trip to Tasmania in September last year to see the estate first hand and taste the wines with the winemaker. These wines just keep getting better with each release.


From Tasmania’s East Coast, Ossa’s Grüner Veltliner shows lifted aromas of pear, quince and white peach, underpinned by white pepper, citrus blossom and a subtle herbal edge. The palate is precise and textural, with stone fruit and citrus framed by a fine acid line and a savoury, pithy grip that adds definition. A chalky mineral thread runs long through the finish, making this a finely poised and characterful expression of Grüner in Australian soil. - Chris L

Ochota Barrels Slint Chardonnay 2025

Ochota Barrels is the resulting enterprise following Taras and Amber Ochota's surf trip along the west coast of Mexico in the late '00s, at which point they decided to make holistic wines back at home in South Australia. Taras played bass in a number of punk bands in his youth before graduating with a degree in oenology from Adelaide University, working at wineries around the world and finally settling with a nice steep slope in the Basket Range of Adelaide Hills.Taras was understandably heavily influenced by the important people and characters that he met during his time working at wineries around the world, most of all from the small biodynamic producers he encountered in the south of France. Their approach of organic vineyards planted on soil with vitality, minimal intervention and picking decisions based on retaining natural acidity to produce wines with energy and tension are what resonated the most deeply with him. Ochota Barrels use low-yielding old vines with small berries, whole bunches when the stems are right, careful pigéage, as well as some skin contact and batonage to develop texture and complexity. This Chardonnay is always amazing and great value for money.


A beautiful Chardonnay made with light hands. Flinty, mineral and elegant in style with white stone fruit. The palate is fine, persistent and direct. A lovely pure and unadulterated Chardonnay. - Chris L

Bande Apart Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2023


Bande Apart are a newer winery established in 2022 and source grapes from the valley to the hills - single plots in Whitfield and Lenswood. Their wines are made with light hands, fermented with wild yeast and bottled without filtration – aiming to showcase the variety, vintage and
vineyard the best they can. These wines represent insane value for money and should definitely be on everyone's radar.

Adelaide Hills Chardonnay and I get along so well. Another great example from Jess at Bande Apart. One for those who prefer the leaner side of Chardonnay, but with oxidative presence. White stonefruit, peach, nectarine and a lovely creamy finish. - Pete L

Mada Wines Blanc 2025

Hamish Young - founder and chief winemaker, is the guiding force behind MADA. A devoted advocate for the Canberra, Hilltops, and Tumbarumba regions, Hamish is unwavering in his pursuit of elevating these landscapes within Australia’s fine wine narrative. His winemaking journey has taken him across the globe, shaping a personal style defined by depth, precision, and quiet confidence. Each MADA wine reflects years of hands-on experience, Hamish’s experimental spirit, and his enduring commitment to authenticity and excellence. Hamish holds one principle above all others, which is that good wine is born from good people and therefore works with like-minded growers across these regions that he loves and knows so well. This wine is a steal at this price and is the perfect pairing to spicy Asian food.

A balanced blend of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling from Hilltops. The Gewurz is the dominant component of the wine so it only seems fair that it reins supreme in the blend. It's spent a bit of time on skins to build texture, influence and aromatics. I love this wine subtlety and restraint, and I think it's perfect for a lot of our Asian food pairings. - Chris L