A.Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay 2024
In 2012, Adrian commenced the ‘Chardonnay Project’: Where he works with established, premium Chardonnay vineyards across Victoria. Chardonnay is sourced from the ‘Willowlake’ Vineyard in the Yarra Valley, which is vinified in parallel with the ‘Smiths’ Vineyard, in Beechworth.
In 2017, a third single-vineyard site was secured: Chardonnay from the ‘Baxendale’ Vineyard at Whitlands, in the King Valley. Noted as being in the cooler, upper-reaches of North East Victoria, this Whitlands’ site produces exceptional fruit at 560-620m elevation.
Offering three single-vineyard Chardonnay, Adrian showcases the typicity of each vineyard, and captures exceptional varietal expression in each wine.
A section of Willow Lake Vineyard’s Parkinsons Road block was planted in 1979 in brown gradational soils over clay at an elevation of 270 metres above sea level. Unlike the majority of the Willow Lake Vineyard, the Parkinsons Road block has a southerly aspect, with a consistent gradient across the entire block. Grapes were hand picked and pressed to 500 litre French oak puncheons (35% first use) without clarification or racking for non temperature controlled fermentation.
Upon completion of fermentation, the wine was immediately sulphured to preserve freshness and acidity and rested on its lees for 12 months.
Aromatically complex and beautifully lifted, the wine opens with vibrant notes of citrus blossom, Meyer lemon and white nectarine — hallmarks of the cooler 2024 season.
Delicate layers of struck flint and grilled hazelnuts add a savoury, smoky nuance, enhancing the wine’s finesse.
The palate reflects the vintage’s long, even ripening with an elegant, lithe entry and a spine of crystalline acidity. Intense minerality runs through a creamy, seamless texture, underscored by lemon pith, white stone fruit and a fine chalky thread. The finish is refined and focused, with a distinctive saline edge that reflects both site and season, leaving the wine deeply layered, moreish, and long on the palate.
