{"product_id":"hoddles-creek-estate-chardonnay-2024","title":"Hoddles Creek Estate Chardonnay 2024","description":"\u003ch4\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95 Pts Gary Walsh, The Wine Front \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'On the sample labels attached to the bottles of Pinot and Chardonnay, Franco talks about the ‘envelope’ of the wine. I’m not really sure what that means. Maybe he’s getting a lot of fan mail? Franco thinks this is the best Chardonnay since the 2021. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJuicy 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. Drink 2026-2035+'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVariety\u003c\/strong\u003e - Chardonnay\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry\u003c\/strong\u003e - Australia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRegion\u003c\/strong\u003e - Victoria\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSun Region \u003c\/strong\u003e- Yarra Valley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eExtra\u003c\/strong\u003e - Screwcap\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYear\u003c\/strong\u003e - 2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVolume\u003c\/strong\u003e - \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e750ml\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003ca id=\"more_desc_btn\" href=\"#pro_more_desc\"\u003eAbout the Wine Maker \u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4211\/3208\/files\/right-arrow_480x480.jpg?v=1647847041\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"pro_more_desc\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoddles Creek Estate was established in 1997 when the D’Anna family decided to establish a vineyard on the property that has been in the family since 1960. The vineyard sits astride Gembrook Road and adjacent to Hoddles Creek. Its steeply sloping blocks prohibit mechanical harvesting, so all pruning and harvesting are done by hand. All the wines are made in their 300-tonne winery, constructed for the 2003 vintage. The split-level facility has a barrel store located three meters underground. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith 130 acres of vines to manage in the northern reaches of the Yarra Valley (and just four full-time staff), no one could accuse Franco d’Anna of taking the easy route. D’Anna is a winemaker at the top of his game, but if you ask him, he will tell you he is a farmer first—he and his team spend 90% of their time in the vineyard, and no one member is specifically assigned to the winery. This approach not only provides a depth of understanding of the vineyards to each member of the tight-knit team, but it also allows them to set the vineyard up according to the vagaries of each season. This site-first approach, along with a supreme work ethic and crazy attention to detail is something that sets this estate—and its wines—apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hoddles Creek have been perhaps as well known for their premium bottlings as they have been for their dazzlingly economical Wickhams Road range, perennially the best-value chardonnay and pinot noir in the market.” Young Gun of Wine\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn expansion in vineyard holdings, from 20 acres in 1997 to 130 in 2022—with more to come—forms the cornerstone of Hoddles Creek’s future. With the threat of phylloxera looming large (it has been identified just over the hill from the estate) the team has acted pre-emptively to ensure continuity of supply. They have planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on a variety of different rootstocks, so when the time comes, they will have new vines already established, as well as in-depth knowledge of the correct rootstocks to use. In addition to this, the uptick in estate fruit production will insulate the team from the need to purchase increasingly expensive Yarra Valley fruit. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoddles Creek Estate is in the Upper Yarra, which is higher, cooler and more marginal than the Lower Yarra, a set of conditions that suits Franco’s obsession with freshness down to the ground. In terms of viticultural and winemaking priorities, the health of the soil throughout the estate is maximised using organic fertilizers and frequent soil aeration. All fruit is hand-picked in the cool of the morning, there are no enzyme or acid additions, sulphur use is kept to the bare minimum, there is no fining, and filtering is avoided wherever possible. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn his own words, “running your own vineyards results in a far better end product. If you have good ingredients, all they should need is a bit of seasoning.” One need only look at the consistently brilliant reviews in the press to gain an insight into the quality on offer at this address.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hoddles Creek","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52900008067256,"sku":"SKU-030326004740","price":33.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4211\/3208\/files\/D73DD8FF-994A-458F-BF26-07DA03B61DA4.jpg?v=1772503596","url":"https:\/\/www.vauclusecellars.com.au\/products\/hoddles-creek-estate-chardonnay-2024","provider":"Vaucluse Cellars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}