Oakridge Hazeldene Duo Offer

(previous vintage)
From chardonnay planted at the Hazeldene vineyard at Gladysdale in '13. Awarded the trophy for the Best White Wine at last year's Yarra Valley Wine Show, it's not hard to see why. Complex and full of energy with its bouquet of white peach, chalk, grilled nuts and a touch of flint. Fans out beautifully on the long, saline and very satisfying palate. Terrific now, this should age superbly over the next five to 10 years. (96) PHILIP RICH, winecompanion.com.au

Oakridge’s Hazeldene Chardonnay is a perennial favourite and this 2024 is another ripper. This wine is flush with fruit and long through the finish, and while its complexity more or less looks after itself there’s plenty going on beneath the bonnet. Nuts, yellow stone fruits, cooked apples, sweet meal and cracked wheat are all washed through with citrus, cedar and grapefruit. There’s a delicate aspect to the texture, in the best of ways. We are absolutely on song here. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, winefront.com.au

Dave Bicknell is the driving force behind Oakridge and a key figure in modern Australian Chardonnay. The Hazeldene Chardonnay never fails to deliver, showcasing site, structure and finesse. With a focus on vineyard expression and restrained winemaking, it’s hard to find a better price-to-quality ratio anywhere in the country.

From '98 plantings of MV6 at Gladysdale. The fact that this was The James Halliday Wine of Show at last year's Yarra Valley Wine Show, beating the Hazeldene Chardonnay in the process, says it all. Perfumed and captivating aromas of red fruits, dark rose and a little whole-bunched-derived sous bois. Medium bodied, this silky-textured wine finishes with just the right amount of understated and persistent tannins. Irresistible now and, I'd imagine, over the next six to eight years plus. (97) PHILIP RICH, winecompanion.com.au

The 2023 vintage was cool, and the quality here is hot. This pinot noir is as delicious as it is textural as it is complex. Everything here is for the win. It tastes of undergrowth, juicy red and black cherries, pomegranate, twigs and cedar, the latter served svelte. Reductive elements are not overt but they’ve been employed to positive effect. In the glass this wine does not seem bell clear and, so far as I’m concerned, that’s a very good thing. From every angle this is a high class wine. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, winefront.com.au