NOTES

Hoddles Creek 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 to Hoddles Creek. Its steeply sloping blocks prohibit mechanical harvesting, with both vineyards being hand pruned and harvested. All the wines, which are single vineyard estate grown, are made in a 300 tonne winery, constructed for the 2003 vintage. The split-level winery has a barrel store located three meters underground.

Winemaking practices tend to be minimal. All the wines are transferred using gravity and there is generally no added acid addition. Consequently, the wines are balanced and fresh. All grapes are only destemmed, not crushed. This allows full berries to be transferred to either tank or press. No enzymes are used in any of the wines; the grape juice is allowed to settle naturally over four days at very low temperatures.  All wines see a percentage of oak. Some wines will not see any new oak, namely Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc but have a large portion of older oak. This provides mouthfeel, texture and generally builds the wines.  The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir normally see about 30% new oak. Fruit from Hoddles Creek is always fresh and bright and can withstand a larger portion of new oak.

TASTING NOTES

You don’t hear much about the other members of the Hoddles Creek family; it’s the Burgundy sisters that get all the attention. The quieter members are Merlot, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon which is muscular, sophisticated, intellectual and serious).

A vibrant brick red in the glass, the nose is complex and fragrant plenty of blackcurrant, black olive and dusty herbs to entice. The medium-bodied palate portrays nicely with blackcurrants, olives, some cherry and good intensity to keep you entertained and rounded with lovely integrated tannins.

OTHER REVIEWS

Aromas of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, violet, dried herbs and light dusty oak. On the palate medium bodied with flavours of blackcurrant, cherry, black olive and dried herb. Fairly dense with good intensity and firm acid and tannin providing pleasing shape and structure. It’s on the olive and herb side of the cabernet spectrum but still good and ripe for my tastes. A bargain at under twenty dollars too. 90 Points, Gary Walsh, Winorama Dec 2007

Hoddles Creek is renowned for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but the Cabernet is a tidy wine too - if you can find it. It just goes to show you that style can come cheap - or at least that it can be excellent value. This is an elegant Cabernet full of medium bodied blackcurrant, olive and chocolate flavours, the odd 'cabernet signposts' of dried herbs and dust apparent if you look really hard. I admire wines like this. It's the kind of wine I'd like to be... If I were, errr, a wine. Drink 2008-2014. 90 points, Top 100 Wines at $20 or less Campbell Mattinson

It also makes the basic details of exactly how a new world producer goes about it a touch more relevant: Hoddles Creek Estate, or the land for it, has been in the D’Anna family for 40 years. Forty acres of it were planted to vine in 1997, and because the two planted areas are on steep, opposing slopes, all vines are both hand pruned and hand picked – and kept at less than 2.5 tonne to the acre. Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Monthly