Expertly crafted and reflective of Yarra Valley\’s unique terroir, the Hoddles Creek Chardonnay 2024 boasts a vibrant blend of citrus and stone fruit. With a balanced palate, refreshing acidity, and hints of new oak, this Chardonnay is a complex and delicious addition to any wine collection. On the sample labels attached to the bottles of Pinot and Chardonnay, Franco talks about the envelope of the wine. Im not really sure what that means. Maybe hes getting a lot of fan mail? Franco thinks this is the best Chardonnay since the 2021. Juicy white fruit, grapefruit, aniseed, a little struck match, almond paste, cinnamon and clove spice. Its 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. Its elemental as at now, and a little raw, though I reckon it will deliver with a couple of years in bottle. Its a cracking release.95 Points – Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, April 2025, Drink: 2026 – 2035+