Hoddles Creek Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2024 is an expertly crafted expression of Yarra Valley terroir — vibrant citrus and stone fruit, refreshing acidity, and hints of new oak in a Chardonnay of genuine complexity and intensity. Juicy white fruit, grapefruit, aniseed, almond paste, and cinnamon and clove spice, with white nectarine and nutty spicy characters, a flinty grip to texture, and excellent length of flavour. Elemental and a little raw at this stage, it will deliver handsomely with a couple of years in bottle — and Franco thinks it’s the best Chardonnay since the 2021.
Appearance
Bright, pale gold — the vibrant, youthful colour of a 2024 Yarra Valley Chardonnay of genuine intensity and the elemental, flinty character that hand-picked fruit and natural fermentation deliver.
Aroma
Juicy white fruit, grapefruit, and aniseed lead a complex and expressive bouquet — struck match, almond paste, and cinnamon and clove spice adding depth and the kind of intensity that, in some respects, seems more Beechworth than Yarra. Packed with flavour and genuine promise.
Palate
White nectarine, pear, citrus, and lime rind with nutty, spicy characters and a flinty grip to texture — quite some intensity and power, with excellent length of flavour and the refreshing acidity that defines great Yarra Valley Chardonnay. Elemental and a little raw now, it will deliver with a couple of years in bottle. Drink 2026–2035+.
Pairs With
Roasted chicken, pan-seared scallops, grilled barramundi, lobster bisque, and aged soft-rind cheeses. A Chardonnay of this intensity and flinty grip belongs at a table that appreciates wines of genuine complexity and cellaring potential.
Reviews
“Juicy 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.” — 95 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, April 2025. Drink: 2026–2035+
