2024 SISU Chardonnay $55
Campania's SISU Wines opened their new cellar door in early December 2025 and the very stylish, quarried sandstone and blackwood facility has been humming with activity ever since. Little wonder. Not only is it an industry showpiece that deserves a visit from every wine tourist that comes to the Coal River Valley, the wines being created from the surrounding vineyard's 25ha of young vines are already very impressive.
Jake Sheedy isn't just SISU's winemaker. He's been the driving force behind the ambitious project at the northern end of the valley. He knows every rocky outcrop. Almost every cubic metre of its black dolerite soils, with their iron-rich red clays and sandy loams.
The family property established by the former Mudgee winemaker in 2021 has well-credentialled neighbours. Pooley Wines' Cooinda Vale – planted in 1985 – lies on the other side of the Colebrook Road. Bremley Vineyard – winner of the 2024 Australian Pinot Noir Challenge – is less than two kilometres further north and presumably shares very similar terroir.
Sheedy's five years of 'sisu' (Finnish word for 'grit' or 'quiet determination') have been repaid in kind with this first vintage of barrel-fermented Chardonnay. It's a delicious young wine, showing remarkable depth and intensity for a wine produced from such a young vineyard. The yields are clearly being very well-managed.
The freshness and vibrancy of its white nectarine and lemon/citrus fruit characters are neatly framed by sympathetic use of top-notch French oak, around 30 percent of it new. Importantly, time on lees has added layers of smooth, almost creamy texture.
There's no doubt the wine will evolve very gracefully over the next few years. However, few cellar door visitors will have that in mind as their enjoy their pizzas and admire the views (all of which make SISU a very welcome addition to the valley landscape).
SISU is no one-trick pony. The 2025 Riesling, 2025 Pinot Noir and 2025 Syrah are all very attractive stablemates.
This is a vineyard going places. Try to keep up.
Source: Cellar door purchase.
SISU is open Thursday to Monday. Stone-baked pizzas Friday to Sunday.
www.sisuwines.com.au
Last page update: 20 June 2026