2024 Hoddles Creek Estate Chardonnay, Yarra Valley

Juicy white fruit, grapefruit, aniseed, a little struck match, almond paste, cinnamon and clove spice. It’s packed with flavour, white nectarine and nutty spicy characters, a flinty grip to texture, quite some intensity and power here, and in some respects it seems more Beechworth than Yarra, or so I think. Pear and citrus, lime rind, with excellent length of flavour. It’s elemental as at now, and a little raw, though I reckon it will deliver with a couple of years in bottle. It’s a cracking release.

95 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
 

Hoddles Creek is one of the Yarra Valley’s great value benchmarks, but there is nothing simple about the work that goes into these wines. The D’Anna family has been farming in the Upper Yarra for decades, with Franco D’Anna leading the winemaking and a strong focus on site, elevation and careful vineyard management. Cooler conditions here, combined with low yielding vines, consistently deliver Chardonnay with clarity and drive.

The Estate Chardonnay draws from multiple vineyard blocks, bringing together fruit that balances brightness and texture. Aromatics are immediately inviting, white peach and nectarine layered with lemon zest and a hint of grapefruit. There is a subtle cashew and almond note from well judged oak, along with a faint flinty edge that adds complexity.

On the palate it is finely balanced, medium bodied with a clean line of acidity that gives the wine energy and length. Stone fruit and citrus flow through seamlessly, supported by a gentle creaminess from lees work, before finishing with a lightly savoury, mineral note that lingers. It feels composed and complete, offering more depth than its price point suggests.

Winemaking is thoughtful and precise, whole bunch pressing, wild fermentation and restrained oak all playing a role in building texture without masking the fruit. The result is a Chardonnay that consistently punches above its weight, year after year.

This is a natural at the table. Grilled chicken with herbs, pork with apple and fennel, or seafood dishes like prawns or scallops all work beautifully. It also handles a bit of richness, a lobster roll or roast chicken with a buttery sauce, where the acidity keeps everything in check.

Drinking beautifully now, it will continue to evolve over the next four to seven years, developing more nutty, savoury complexity while holding onto its freshness.