2025 Hoddles Creek Estate Pinot Blanc, Yarra Valley

Pinot blanc is never better than when it’s nurtured, elevated and shared by the hard-working hands of the D’Anna family. The undisputed masters of the variety in this country have delivered once again, with a wine that offers green apple and quince aromatics and a hint of white pepper spice. A small portion of the wine gets extended maceration, a slightly larger portion sees time in old oak, the result of both decisions being a welcome elevation in texture and weight without undue heft.

94 points Nick Ryan The Australian Top 100 Wines of 2025
 
From vines planted in 1997. A light, bright green gold. A gentle wash of pear skin, nashi and dried flowers leads onto the gently textured, flavoursome and well-balanced palate. Finishes pithy and long. Good stuff.

93 points Special Value Philip Rich winecompanion.com.au
 
Crisp and clean, racy and offering a little grippy, talc-like pucker. Nice detail. Fruit is green pear, cucumber in tonic water, faint almond and marzipan notes, a dash of pickled ginger, some lemon verbena. Enough flavour, enough steely zing, enough length. Delicious, vibrant drink.

92 points Mike Bennie winefront.com.au
 

Hoddles Creek Estate Pinot Blanc is one of the quiet overachievers of the Yarra Valley, a wine that shows just how well this often overlooked variety can perform in a cool climate when grown and handled with intent. The vineyard sits in the upper Yarra Valley, where elevation, volcanic soils and consistently cool temperatures allow Pinot Blanc to ripen slowly while retaining crisp acidity and fine aromatics. Hoddles Creek has been family owned since the early 1990s, with winemaker Franco D’Anna at the helm from the beginning. Franco has built a reputation for thoughtful, site driven wines that prioritise balance, texture and longevity over short term impact, and his Pinot Blanc has become something of a cult favourite for those in the know.

Pinot Blanc is perfectly suited to the Yarra’s climate, offering more structure and savoury depth than Pinot Grigio, but less overt richness than Chardonnay. In the glass, the wine shows a pale straw colour with green highlights, opening with aromas of pear, apple skin, white flowers, citrus zest and a subtle almond and mineral note. The palate is quietly complex and beautifully composed, layering orchard fruit, gentle spice and a fine, chalky texture supported by fresh, natural acidity. There is a lovely sense of restraint here, with fruit and savoury elements in harmony, making it incredibly versatile at the table. It works beautifully with seafood, roast chicken, pork, salads, soft cheeses and lighter Asian dishes, and it also has the balance to age for five to seven years, gaining more nutty, honeyed and savoury complexity over time.

Hoddles Creek Estate Pinot Blanc is a wine that rewards attention, offering depth, food friendliness and quiet sophistication rather than obvious flash. It is a true reflection of Franco D’Anna’s winemaking philosophy and a reminder of the Yarra Valley’s ability to produce nuanced, European inspired whites of real character.