2022 A. Rodda Willow Lake Chardonnay, Yarra Valley

From 1979 plantings. south facing, sitting at 270m ASL.

Grapefruit and nectarine, almond and light spice, fine perfume. Cool feeling wine, zesty style with lemon peel, nutty and savoury, plenty of acid bite, but gently creamy too, with a fine chalk dust finish of excellent length. A little bony and discreet, perhaps, but has flavour and appealing texture. Saline too. A couple more years should see it right.

94+ points Gary Walsh winefront.com.au  Oct 23, Alcohol 13.5% Drink 2024 - 2030+

Complex and highly lifted aromas of white flowers, grapefruit and gun smoke combine with freshly grilled nuts and toast. The palate is refined and complex, driven by intense lemon citrus characters that flow into a creamy, velvety texture. The finish is precise and ever so savoury leaving a tactile sensation that is long and incredibly morish.

Adrian Rodda has been making wine since 1998, almost entirely working with David Bicknell at Oakridge. He was involved in the development of the superb Oakridge 864 Chardonnay. At the start of 2010 he and wife Christie, a doctor, decided to move to Beechworth, and it was no coincidence that he was a long-term friend of viticulturist Mark Walpole. Yet further coincidences came with the Smiths Vineyard and winery being available for lease; he now shares it with Mark, who makes his Beechworth wines there. Even more propitious was the availability of Smiths Vineyard chardonnay, planted in 1978. The quality of the portfolio has been consistently excellent.