2022 Oakridge 864 Henk Aqueduct Block Chardonnay

98 pts
Blisteringly good top-tier Chardonnay from the master Dave Bicknell.

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Sale price$95.00
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Description

From the red volcanic soils of Woori Yallock’s Henk Vineyard comes the first 864 bottling from this block since 2018 - it's nice to see you again! Planted high on the north-facing slopes at 260 metres, this site produces Chardonnay of precision, drive and mineral depth.

Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed and wild-fermented in 500L French puncheons (20% new), the wine spent ten months on lees, building texture without sacrificing its electric core. The nose shimmers with freshly zested lime, grapefruit and white peach, woven through flint, white flowers and a faint nutty savour. The palate is taut yet intense - grapefruit and blood orange zip along a fine, tensile spine, edged with citrus pith and a whisper of exotic spice.

This is a Chardonnay of both energy and composure, its crystalline acidity and mineral length promising years of graceful evolution. A thrilling return to the 864 line-up from one of the Oakridge's most distinguished sites.

98 points
"A glorious wine opening with orchard fruits, freshly cut white pears together with a little sea spray and lightly grilled cashews. On the palate, this is restrained, tightly coiled and mouth-filling – you can still taste this very precise wine long after you've taken a sip."
- Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)

98 points
"This is a brilliant modern Aussie chardonnay: clever winemaking work doesn't over-impose but lifts the fruit while adding complexity and an x factor."
- Gabrielle Poy (The Real Review)

98 points - "From the highest section at Henk, around 260m. Hand picked, whole-bunch pressed to 500L French puncheons (20% new), wild-yeast fermented, matured for 10 months on lees. The first Henk to make an 864 since 2018 and worth the wait. A glorious wine opening with orchard fruits, freshly cut white pears together with a little sea spray and lightly grilled cashews. On the palate, this is restrained, tightly coiled and mouth-filling – you can still taste this very precise wine long after you've taken a sip." - Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)

98 points - "Smoky aromas mix with freshly baked sourdough and apple tarte tatin. It smells very, very good. On the palate a core of finely tuned fruit—green apples and spiced nectarines anchor the wine. It flows nicely across the palate, carrying flavour and freshness. Its composure is a highlight, although there's a touch of frenetic youthfulness on show, too. This is a brilliant modern Aussie chardonnay: clever winemaking work doesn't over-impose but lifts the fruit while adding complexity and an x factor. 15 Sep 2024" - Gabrielle Poy (The Real Review)

96 points - "The interesting thing here is that flavour is clearly on the menu, there’s nothing slight about this, and yet this wine remains a lesson in elegance. This chardonnay is a long road of flavour. There’s a tickle of honeysuckle and custard powder beneath the grilled nectarine, pear and lime fruit drivers, with subtle cream and cedar characters tying it all in a bow. It’s not an overt wine, its sleeves still buttoned down, but its class and quality are both abundantly clear." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

Our 864 range features exceptional wines from specific and single blocks, produced in small quantities and released in only the best years. An Oakridge 864 wine is terroir-driven. Made to demonstrate the importance of time and place with every bottle, and always a tribute to tradition, these wines are ready to drink now or cellar.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Yarra Valley
Australian State VIC
Feature High Score
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
The Real Review
The Wine Front
Critic Score 98
Size 750ml
Vintage 2022
Closure Screw Cap

Oakridge

Oakridge is one of the Yarra Valley's most respected wineries.

Under the direction of master winemaker Dave Bicknell, it has been a major player in defining the modern styles of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Yarra over the last decade.

From the elite 864 range to the amazing value Over The Shoulder range, there's quality at the core of everything Oakridge puts its hand to. Bicknell has rare touch as a winemaker, carefully eeking out the individual character of each vineyard he works with.

Each wine speaks with absolute clarity of where it comes from. These are excellent, masterfully crafted wines and great value to boot.

Cheif Winemaker Dave Bicknell Oakridge

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Common Questions

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For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

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Most wine retailers list at a single-bottle price and then discount 10–15% when you buy six or twelve. We've taken the opposite approach. Since the overwhelming majority of our orders are already 6 bottles or more, our list price is set for the case buyer from the start. There's no inflated single-bottle price to discount down from.

What that means for you:

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Put simply: the box discount is already baked into the price.

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