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.

Essentially we are treating this like a red wine. We make it this way to try get a balance between aroma and tannin ripeness. The stalks from the first treatment add some fine tannins and obviously you get a lot more tannin from the second treatment. We try and find a balance in between depending on the year. Franco D'Anna

Copper in colour, which is a good sign. Nashi pear, spicy musky perfume, a flicker of aniseed too. It’s juicy, but so balanced, with a light powdery texture and grip, a little blood orange, fresh strawberry, pear skin crunch, and a satisfying finish of excellent length. All just so. Hoddles Creek are masters of this grape variety, and no change here. Unreal wine. Date: Sept 23; Alcohol: 12.7%; Price: $26; Closure: Screwcap; Drink: 2023-2027; Rated: 94 Points; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front