Opened a bottle last night, the first in two years. It’s quite approachable straight up, with white peach and nectarine and nutty flavours. However it does have a prominent grapefruit/lemon pith flavour, which adds to the complexity but is a little unpleasant for mind. Day two and the stone fruit is more golden and there’s some tropical notes. It still has a pithy note but it’s more in context and the length is amazing.
On reflection I don’t know whether that grapefruit note will ever resolve itself, but I don’t really care. Difference is good and I’m looking forward to following the progress of my remaining five bottles.
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Uncut nectarines, barley, ginger, cap gun smoke, grapefruit, touches of cashew, lime. Complexity plus. Some lactose-ish body. Excellent length. Best enjoyed at 12 degrees and warmer, for my tastes. 93+
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Struck match and flint, lemon pith, preserved lemon, grapefruit. This wine is in such a good place right now. Shame this is my last bottle. Value for money here is incredible.
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Reduction soon dissipates. Ginger and spice on the nose. Clean, focussed palate, with stone fruits, spice, ginger. Nice acid drive to the finish. Looking good. On day 2, showed apple, waffle, butterscotch, lemon curd.
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Drinking spectacularly well now and with perhaps more development to come. Struck match on the nose with stone fruits and a long impressive finish. Got to be one of the best value wines in Australia.
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Still quite reticent, but opened up after a couple of hours. Lemon rind, lime, ginger etc. The crisp acid on the finish is still a bit much for me (at least in a Canberra winter) and I'll leave them till 2015 before opening another.
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Initially quite reticent. Flinty, lemon rind, ginger, almond. The palate is a touch harsh, maybe from acids. It feels like it needs a little more time to get itself sorted out. But it tastes promising.
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No formal note, but this seems to be a lot more closed than previous bottles I've enjoyed. Perhaps it's beginning to shut down. Revisit in a year or so.
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Had a bottle of 2011 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2 nights ago and this Hoddles has a fuller palate that seems to promise a longer lived future. While it doesn't have the nuances or the finish of the Heytesbury, it's wonderfully linear with aromas of struck match and crusty bread followed by ginger, white peach with biscuit on the palate. Taut and precise. Could do with more integration as the acidity is quite pronounced.
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I haven't been terribly impressed with HC in the past but this is my most impressive tasting. Very young, tight and a slightly strange bitter citrus component. Lots of class and just needs a year or two to unwind. From late 2014.
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This is going to take some time, but it'll be worth the wait. When I opened the bottle it wasn't unpleasant, just very closed with no nose to speak of and some lime and almost almond like flavours. The next night it was limes and white peach and on the third night it was more of the same and still drinking beautifully.
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Straw, slight green tinge. Quite a big wine, still showing a fair lick of oak that is not yet integrated. Ripe stone fruit, nuts, quite fat. Doesn't have much acidity and is quite rich. Fairly short finish. Still needs some time to come together.
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9/5/2018 - Julian B Likes this wine: 92 Points
Superb and beautifully balanced. Drank over two nights and probably better on the second night.
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5/21/2017 - brisbane piefan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyable but think I preferred the bottle I drank previously. Lemony and a thirst slaking finish.
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3/5/2017 - Julian B Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with Avid Wino.
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8/28/2016 - Julian B Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened a bottle last night, the first in two years. It’s quite approachable straight up, with white peach and nectarine and nutty flavours. However it does have a prominent grapefruit/lemon pith flavour, which adds to the complexity but is a little unpleasant for mind. Day two and the stone fruit is more golden and there’s some tropical notes. It still has a pithy note but it’s more in context and the length is amazing.
On reflection I don’t know whether that grapefruit note will ever resolve itself, but I don’t really care. Difference is good and I’m looking forward to following the progress of my remaining five bottles.
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4/17/2016 - Avid Wino wrote: 93 Points
Uncut nectarines, barley, ginger, cap gun smoke, grapefruit, touches of cashew, lime. Complexity plus. Some lactose-ish body. Excellent length. Best enjoyed at 12 degrees and warmer, for my tastes. 93+
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12/19/2015 - majamke Likes this wine: 94 Points
Struck match and flint, lemon pith, preserved lemon, grapefruit. This wine is in such a good place right now. Shame this is my last bottle. Value for money here is incredible.
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9/7/2015 - fizz wrote:
Reduction soon dissipates. Ginger and spice on the nose. Clean, focussed palate, with stone fruits, spice, ginger. Nice acid drive to the finish. Looking good. On day 2, showed apple, waffle, butterscotch, lemon curd.
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7/31/2015 - brisbane piefan Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking spectacularly well now and with perhaps more development to come. Struck match on the nose with stone fruits and a long impressive finish. Got to be one of the best value wines in Australia.
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7/29/2015 - cbauer wrote:
Drinking well now. Stone fruits, hint of citrus, great length. Good value for money.
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7/6/2014 - Julian B Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still quite reticent, but opened up after a couple of hours. Lemon rind, lime, ginger etc. The crisp acid on the finish is still a bit much for me (at least in a Canberra winter) and I'll leave them till 2015 before opening another.
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1/8/2014 - fizz wrote: 90 Points
Initially quite reticent. Flinty, lemon rind, ginger, almond. The palate is a touch harsh, maybe from acids. It feels like it needs a little more time to get itself sorted out. But it tastes promising.
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12/24/2013 - majamke Likes this wine:
No formal note, but this seems to be a lot more closed than previous bottles I've enjoyed. Perhaps it's beginning to shut down. Revisit in a year or so.
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10/6/2013 - majamke Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had a bottle of 2011 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2 nights ago and this Hoddles has a fuller palate that seems to promise a longer lived future. While it doesn't have the nuances or the finish of the Heytesbury, it's wonderfully linear with aromas of struck match and crusty bread followed by ginger, white peach with biscuit on the palate. Taut and precise. Could do with more integration as the acidity is quite pronounced.
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6/9/2013 - StewartWent wrote: 89 Points
I haven't been terribly impressed with HC in the past but this is my most impressive tasting. Very young, tight and a slightly strange bitter citrus component. Lots of class and just needs a year or two to unwind. From late 2014.
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12/13/2012 - Julian B Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is going to take some time, but it'll be worth the wait. When I opened the bottle it wasn't unpleasant, just very closed with no nose to speak of and some lime and almost almond like flavours. The next night it was limes and white peach and on the third night it was more of the same and still drinking beautifully.
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8/5/2012 - Mivvy wrote: 87 Points
Straw, slight green tinge. Quite a big wine, still showing a fair lick of oak that is not yet integrated. Ripe stone fruit, nuts, quite fat. Doesn't have much acidity and is quite rich. Fairly short finish. Still needs some time to come together.
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