Hoddles Creek 1er Pinot Noir 2024 is one of the Upper Yarra’s most compelling and characterful Pinots — sourced entirely from the Top Paddock Vineyard’s 28 rows of west-facing, south-sloping vines, where the cooler aspect allows 25% whole bunches without green flavour, and where the work of rejuvenating the soils is beginning to show clearly in the wine. Twig, spice, herb, and undergrowth on the nose; pure, satiny red and black cherry on the palate with a forest-wood aspect that is both beguiling and characteristic of great Upper Yarra Pinot; cedarwood oak playing a positive role; and tannin that is a masterclass — not too much, not too little, threaded intricately, gently smoky. 18 months in cask. Unfiltered, unfined, unstabilised.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Deep, vibrant crimson — the rich, concentrated colour of a single-block Upper Yarra Pinot Noir from the Top Paddock Vineyard, with the depth and clarity that 25% whole bunches, 18 months in cask, and no filtration or fining deliver.
Aroma
Alive with twig, spice, and herb — with pure, satiny red and black cherry and an undergrowth-forest-wood aspect that is both beguiling and characteristic of great Upper Yarra Pinot Noir. Cedarwood oak playing a positive, integrated role.
Palate
Presence and purity in equal measure — red and black cherry, twig, spice, herb, and forest wood, with tannin that is a masterclass: not too much, not too little, threaded intricately, gently smoky. Already putting on a show as a young wine, and built to last and improve.
Pairs With
Duck confit, mushroom risotto, roasted salmon, charcuterie, soft to medium-aged cheeses. A wine for the table and the cellar in equal measure. Drink 2026–2034+.
Finish
Long, complex, and deeply satisfying — cherry, spice, forest wood, and gently smoky tannin fading with the precision and elegance that define the Top Paddock Vineyard and the Hoddles Creek approach to Upper Yarra Pinot Noir.
Reviews
“There’s presence to the palate here and yet in flavour profile terms it feels and tastes very Upper Yarra. It’s alive with twig, spice and herb notes but then it’s also riven with pure, satiny, red and black cherry flavours, and it also has that undergrowth-forest-wood aspect that is both beguiling and so characteristic of good pinot. Cedarwood oak plays noticeable role too, as a positive, and the tannin is a masterclass; not too much, not too little, threaded intricately, gently smoky. As a young wine this release is already putting on a show but, even so, it feels built to last, and to improve. However you take it, this is a truly beautiful wine.”
— Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, 95+ points, September 2025
