2023 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Chardonnay

Highly Rated
Top-flight Yarra Valley Chardonnay from the D'Anna family. Limited stocks available, so act fast!
4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
4 Reviews

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Sale price$70.00
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Description

The Hoddles Creek 1er Chardonnay is a wine of exceptional class and intensity.

Produced from a meticulously chosen block on the estate’s Top Paddock vineyard, this Chardonnay is the result of years of careful observation and refinement. Planted with Bernard clones on an easterly facing slope, 50 metres higher than the original Chardonnay vines, this block delivers fruit with a distinctive character. The challenging conditions force the vines to work harder, resulting in low yields and naturally concentrated fruit, perfect for producing a Chardonnay of exceptional quality.

In the winery, Franco D’Anna and his team maintain a minimal intervention approach. The hand-picked fruit is gently handled, with no crushing, and the juice is allowed to settle for a week before fermentation, without any enzyme or acid additions. The wine spends 12 months in cask, with occasional stirring of the lees, developing a subtle complexity and depth. The final result is a Chardonnay that’s tightly wound, yet deeply expressive, offering a balance of bright acidity, layered fruit, and fine structure.

This is a wine for those who appreciate the nuances of top-tier Yarra Valley Chardonnay—elegant, precise, and built to age gracefully. Only released in the best vintages, this is premium Chardonnay done the Yarra Valley way. Buy with supreme confidence.

97 points
"Unsurprisingly, it's a glorious wine. Aromas of stone fruits, quince, acacia honey and hazelnuts precede the palate, which has terrific depth balanced by the wine's bright acidity. The finish is saline, satisfying and long. A stunning Yarra Valley chardonnay."
- Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points
"This is distinct chardonnay, not just for being the 1er chardonnay of Hoddles Creek, but generally. It throws out warm spice and creamy, woody scents with strong sea spray, grilled nuts and lifted sherry on green apple, lime and brined chicken stock... Texture flows and spreads amongst the prickle of that spice and minerality. Gosh, I like this."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
95 points
"Good texture and length, the merest kiss of oak on the farewell. This is impressive and is likely to reward a bit of cellaring, too."
- Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

A better understanding of our vineyards has led us to believe that certain blocks excel year after year. These blocks have always been treated separately to enable us to fine tune viticulture and winemaking in the thought of releasing some single block wines in the future. Well that time has come. Our Top Paddock vineyard was originally planted to 100 per cent Pinot Noir. In 2003, I decided to graft one block over to the Bernard clones of Chardonnay (95, 96, 277). I selected the best clones and the most balanced vines for cuttings. The block I selected was Easterly facing on the crest of the hill. I was always fascinated how Chardonnay on this block would go. The vineyard is 50 metres higher in altitude than the existing Chardonnay block.

Chardonnay from the Top Paddock has always had a different growth structure than our normal Chardonnay blocks. Positioned on top of the hill has meant the vines have had to work harder as the soils are poorer. Crop levels are never an issue with this block, with natural crop levels at one tone per acre. Minimal shoot thinning and positioning occurs in Spring. After this, we let the vines sort itself out.

In the winery, we treat this wine as we would normally treat all our Chardonnay.. The Chardonnay is picked in the early morning, and refrigerated down to 2⁰C for 12 hours. Then it is gentle destemmed, not crushed and pressed into tank. The juice is left to settle clear for 7 days with no enzyme or acid addition. The wine is then fermented till dryness using cultered and natural yeasts. The wine remains in cask for 12 months with occasional battonage. The wine is not filtered, not fined, or stabilized before bottling.

97 points - "From a single block grafted from pinot to chardonnay in 2003 and which, to quote Franco D'Anna, produced "disastrous yields" in 2023. Unsurprisingly, it's a glorious wine. Aromas of stone fruits, quince, acacia honey and hazelnuts precede the palate, which has terrific depth balanced by the wine's bright acidity. The finish is saline, satisfying and long. A stunning Yarra Valley chardonnay." - Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "This is distinct chardonnay, not just for being the 1er chardonnay of Hoddles Creek, but generally. It throws out warm spice and creamy, woody scents with strong sea spray, grilled nuts and lifted sherry on green apple, lime and brined chicken stock. Exotic, compelling, a little out there, though those seeking generosity apply within. The palate is almost tactile with spice elements too, a little less saline than the bouquet but it’s there on grilled cashew and rolled through red apple, grapefruit and musky lime characters. Somewhat waxy too. It marches to its own beat. It nods in the direction of southern Burgundy’s more left of centre producers, and those, like Hoddles, that let their wines get air, and hang out in barrels and cellars longer. Texture flows and spreads amongst the prickle of that spice and minerality. Gosh, I like this." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

95 points - "Light yellow colour with a nougat, custard and spiced fruit aromas, a touch of fresh picked garden herbs too. Good depth of fruit. Although artifact characters are very evident on the nose, the palate is rich in concentrated fruit. Good texture and length, the merest kiss of oak on the farewell. This is impressive and is likely to reward a bit of cellaring, too." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

Customer Reviews

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 4 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 3 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
4 reviews
  • AC
    Andrew C.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    4 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2022 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Chardonnay
    Reviewing
    2022 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Chardonnay
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    A Very Fine Chardonnay

    This is a very fine Chardonnay. It is quite delicate with a hint of oak but lots of fruit and a lovely long dry finish. Great with fish or seafood - or even by itself on a warm afternoon.

  • CF
    Craig F.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    4 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2022 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Chardonnay
    Reviewing
    2022 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Chardonnay
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Quality Australian Chardonnay

    Great Chardonnay that drinks well with good cellaring potential.

  • JH Profile picture for Jon H.facebook logo
    Jon H.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    5 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2022 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Chardonnay
    Reviewing
    2022 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Chardonnay
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Cracking wine

    Powerful and complex, needs a bit of air to settle down and open up, but you'll be rewarded after a decant or some time open. Hoddles, as always, hits the mark.

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Hoddles Creek Estate

Hoddles Creek Estate lays a serious claim to being one of the best value producers in Australia.

Led by the extremely hardworking winemaking guru Franco D’Anna, the Hoddles team crafts wonderful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in particular that seriously overdeliver at all price points.

The wines are all made from fruit grown on their family vineyard in the Upper Yarra Valley. A must-try for Yarra Valley fans and bargain hunters alike!

Winemaker Franco D'Anna - Yarra Valley, VIC Discover Hoddles Creek

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