Size & Type
Other
$24
Franco always makes flavourful Chardonnay.
Citrus and stonefruit on the nose, this wine has a rounded palate with good length and acidity; a light touch of new oak adds complexity.
Franco D’Anna
Out of stock
Franco’s at the top of his game producing cracking wines year in year out from an amazing site.
For those that haven’t had these wines before they represent some of the best value Pinot & Chardonnay you’ll find.
Hoddles Creek’s vineyards are in the cooler upper Yarra, the slopes of many of the sites are calf breaking.
The wines show a deft touch, balancing power and delicacy beautifully.
Hoddles Creek Estate was established in 1997 when the D’Anna family decided to establish a vineyard on the property that has been in the family since 1960. The vineyard sits astride Gembrook road and adjacent Hoddles Creek. Its steeply sloping blocks prohibit mechanical harvesting, with both vineyards being hand pruned and harvested. All our wines, which are single vineyard, estate grown, are made in our 300 tonne winery, constructed for the 2003 vintage. The split-level winery has a barrel store located three meters underground. Hoddles Creek Estate is planted with 10ha of pinot noir (five clones), 6 ha of chardonnay, 1ha each of sauvignon blanc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, and 1.5ha of pinot gris.
Hoddles Creek Estate is located in the Upper Yarra, which is higher, cooler and more marginal than the lower Yarra, The vineyard is cropped at less than 2.5 tonnes per acre. Being in a marginal climate, requires extensive canopy management. Over the last decade we have been focusing on minimal chemical use in the vineyard. We are starting to see the benefits of health soils and vines with more balanced wines.
Estate Pinot
All fruit is hand-picked in the morning and immediately de-stemmed with no crushing. In tank the fruit will have a small addition of sulphur. Some batches were left to cold soak for approximately 4-5 days, whilst others started fermentation immediately. Natural and cultured yeasts were used on different ferments. Pigage and delastage were used for cap management. Some ferments will undergo post maceration, depending on the tannin structure and the style of the wine. On completion of fermentation the wine was gently pressed and transferred to 30% new, 30% one year old and the balance in two and three year old oak, After 11 months of barrel maturation, the wine was assembled and bottled without filtration or fining.
Estate Chardonnay
All fruit is hand-picked in the morning and immediately de-stemmed and lightly crushed into the press. No enzymes are used; instead the juice is allowed to settle naturally. In 2021, there were approximately fifteen different ferments, these were allowed to start naturally on full solids. After a select period of time, some of the juice was inoculated with cultured yeast then transferred to wood for fermentation. The wine is then left on lees for approximately 11 months. Just before bottling all clones are blended, cold stabilized, fined and filtered.
Mac Forbes map is a first cut at defining Sub-Regions for the Yarra Valley. Hoddles Creek is the southern most sub-region and at a higher elevation making it one of the cooler parts of the Yarra Valley.
Where in the world does the magic happen?
Hoddles Creek Estate, Gembrook Rd, Hoddles Creek VIC, Australia
You must be logged in to post a comment.