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. 

From 28 rows of pinot planted on a block that is west facing and sloping to the south. 15% whole bunches. A light, bright cherry red. Fragrant with brambly fruits, blood orange, rose petals and a little spice. It's fragrant in the mouth, too, with fine-grained and gently chewy tannins giving the wine its shape and structure. A discreet and classy wine that should age effortlessly over the next few years. Date: Nov 2025; Alcohol: 13.2%; Price: $70.00; Drink by: 2035; Rating: 97 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion

Perfumed and delicate with reductive-edged aromas of red cherries, pomegranate, blood oranges, lead pencils, Negronis, dried strawberries and wet earth. The palate is mid-weighted with firmly framed, refined tannins and bright acidity, showing a mineral edge and vibrant red fruits that lead into a grippy, seamless finish. This has all the hallmarks of a pinot that will age well. Includes 15% whole cluster, adding a lovely floral and spice edge. Rating: 96 Points; James Suckling

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. Date: Sept 2025; Alcohol: 13.2%; Price: $70; Closure: Screwcap; Drink: 2026-2034+; Rated: 95+ Points; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front