Hoddles Creek Estate Chardonnay 2021

The D'Anna family established their vineyard on a property that had been in the family since 1960. The vines (chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, pinot gris, merlot and pinot blanc) are hand-pruned and hand-harvested, a 300t, split-level winery built in 2003. Son Franco is the viticulturist and inspired winemaker; he started work in the family liquor store at age 13, graduating to chief wine buyer by the time he was 21. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Melbourne University before studying viticulture at CSU. A vintage at Coldstream Hills, then two years' vintage experience with Peter Dredge at Witchmount, and with Mario Marson (ex Mount Mary) as mentor in '03, has put an old head on young shoulders. The Wickhams Road label uses grapes from an estate vineyard in Gippsland as well as purchased grapes from the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula. Best Value Winery Wine Companion 2015.  James Halliday Wine Companion

"It is what it is: the chardonnay you should buy, for any night of the week, for any occasion. It’s chardonnay in a style that somehow manages to straddle various streams; it’s an arthouse chardonnay that crosses over into the mainstream. It does because it has flavour but it also has drive; it’s fresh and zippy but its stonefruit-and-apple flavours have bite. It’s the Yarra Valley with a nod to Chablis in a way; it has that easy I-don’t-need-to-try-too-hard confidence. There’s oak but it’s not boosted by it. There’s flavour but it’s chalky and taut. It is in short a gift that keeps on giving."  Rating: 93+ Points.  Campbell Mattinson

"Tight, green apple and stone fruit, a little spicy oak and flint/match stuff. Great texture, lime, grapefruit pith and pleasant bitterness, firm feel, long and intense with a citrus tang and raw almond. Terrific. Nervy, so much energy, but with flavour to burn. 94 points no worries.  I’ve ordered six of the Chardonnay and six of the Pinot."   Gary Walsh.