A great example of modern Aussie Chardonnay, this comes from a single vineyard in the Lenswood subregion of the Adelaide Hills. It's smokey, creamy and yet still tight and fresh. Loads of lemon curd and grapefruit, backed up by rich vanilla, marzipan and grilled hazelnuts.

Coonawarra winemaker Jess DiGiorgio is the brains, heart and soul behind this new, innovative brand. She is ably assisted by Jamie Sainte, an experienced winemaker based in Mildura. Forged together by a shared vintage in Burgundy & Beaujolais in 2018, they now source some of their favourite grape varieties to make wines that are fun and deliver great drinking. For them, Bande Apart represents the coming together on this project, from two very separate places - both geographically and personally with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. It loosely translates "to do something apart from the group", and is representative of how they feel - doing things differently, from the creation of their business, to the way they make the wines. The wines are all made with a light touch - wild yeasts, no filtration and gentle hands. They want the fruit to speak for itself, for the wines to be unique, fluid and enjoyable. Given the first round of releases, we reckon they're right on track.