Price:	QTY:
Hoddles Creek Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2005 The best of both worlds. It doesn't quite have the funk of the 2003, but it does have some, and it doesn't quite have the sweet brightness of the 2004, but it has some of that too - the end result being a long, steely, pear-like, mealy wine with a dart of glistening grapefruit on the close. The oak is cedary, toasty, classy and not overdone, the wine beaming up through the centre of it. I would vote it, once again, as the best value white wine in Australia - though I would buy it on the quality, regardless of value. Drink: 2006-2009. 93 points. Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front Hooray. Winorama have the scoopety scoop scoop scoop on the latest release from Hoddles Creek. The wine will be launched at Wine Australia next month. First I have to make a comment on the packaging of this wine, namely, that it is absolutely first rate. It comes in a heavy glass screwcapped Burgundy bottle with a little glittering gold and black frog on the label. Nice. Aromas of white peach, grapefruit, matchstick, almond meal and fine spicy oak. There’s also some youthful tropical fruit that should settle down with more time in bottle. On the palate it is vibrant and fresh, yet viscous and lightly creamy with flavours of lemon tart, grapefruit, honeycomb and white peach backed with spicy oak. Extra long clean citrus and spice finish. Not quite as wild and funky as previous releases but the quality of the fruit more than compensates. Unbeatable value too. Gary Walsh, Winorama At this article’s time of writing, this chardy hasn’t officially been released on to the market, but I had the privilege of trying this over lunch at the Healesville Hotel (www.healesvillehotel.com.au) – a cozy little country pub sitting pretty in Victoria’s Yarra Valley that not only boasts sensational food and an award-winning wine list, but for at least the next month, is the only retail outlet selling this beauty. If you’re one of those wine lovers thrilled to see a steady stream of fine, delicate cool climate chardonnay trickling on to the market, then I suggest you write yourself a little note (in big letters and on large squares of butcher’s paper) reminding you to pick up a case or two of this amazing – and still unbelievably under-priced – exercise in subtlety and balance from the Yarra Valley. Structurally, this is what I wish more cool climate chardonnay was like: delicate, tightrope walker-like balance and injected with just enough acidic zip to ensure it’ll go the distance in the cellar, but can still be enjoyed young. The flavours are a world away from the full-blown butterscotch and peaches of less-refined chardonnay: think Hoddles Creek Estate and think citrus swirls, a gentle squeeze of orange and measured mouthfuls of crisp green apple. Wood-wise, the oak handling is just as restrained with texture rather than overt flavour being this wine’s only telltale signs of time spent in barrel. Winemaker Franco d’Anna reckons this is the best chardonnay he’s made so after and after falling palate-first for this unashamedly Old World-style wine and its slow-mo finish in the mouth, I’m not going to argue. There’s plenty of good news about this wine’s release – the bad? Yields for chardonnay in’05 were 20 per cent on 2004’s figures which is a real shame as it means fewer people will get to taste and relish this wine. Make sure you’re not one of those people. www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au. Max Veenhuyzen, Ace Hi Wine