This outstanding Yarra Valley Chardonnay hails from Hoddles Creek’s Top Paddock vineyard, a site originally planted entirely to Pinot Noir. In 2003, Franco d’Anna grafted one block over to mass-selection Chardonnay (clones 95, 96 and 277), situated on an east-facing slope at the crest of the hill. Perched 50 metres higher than the estate’s other Chardonnay plantings, these vines are rooted in poorer soils, naturally limiting yields to around one tonne per acre and encouraging greater intensity and concentration of fruit. Vineyard work is kept deliberately minimal, with only light shoot thinning and positioning undertaken in spring.
Fruit is harvested in the cool of the early morning, then chilled to 2°C for 12 hours before being gently destemmed (without crushing) and pressed to tank. The juice is allowed to settle naturally for seven days before fermentation begins, using a combination of cultured and indigenous yeasts. The wine is then matured in oak casks for 12 months, with occasional bâtonnage to build texture and complexity. It is bottled without fining, filtration or stabilisation, preserving both its purity and sense of place.