2024 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay

A sophisticated, cool-climate Chardonnay from 45-year-old vines, balancing Adrian Rodda’s signature nutty complexity with the fresh, saline energy of the Yarra Valley.
4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
3 Reviews

Price:
Sale price$59.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Description

Adrian Rodda might be synonymous with Beechworth these days, but he’s never lost his touch in the Yarra Valley. This comes from the Parkinson’s Road block at Willow Lake - a special little south-facing patch planted back in 1979. Because it’s a bit cooler and sits on those older vines, you get a version of Yarra Chardonnay that’s incredibly poised and precise.

We tasted this last week and it’s a total class act. Adrian uses 500-litre French oak puncheons here to build some curves, but he’s kept it fresh by skipping the malolactic fermentation. It spent a full year resting on its lees, which gives it that classic, nutty weight and a silky mouthfeel that fans of his style will recognise immediately.

You’ll find plenty of white nectarine and grapefruit, but there’s a savoury, saline edge to it that we love. As always with Adrian's Chardonnays it feels tightly coiled and energetic, with structure and acid at the heart of the wine.

It’s drinking beautifully right now if you like that zesty, nervous energy, but it'll age like a dream.

95 points
"Offers Yarra Valley elegance with an impressive complexity of fruit... This is svelte, sophisticated, with warm texture and fresh acidity. Yes, the structure allows for more ageing. Can you wait?"
- Jeni Port (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "The nose beckons with aromas of spiced white nectarine, alpine spice, baked fennel and nori. The tense palate is nervy and reticent in its youth, but you can feel the wine is going to be ready to change to a higher gear in a few months. Saline notes on the finish temper the spices and crunchy white nectarine. It’s an exciting wine that needs time." - Gabrielle Poy (The Real Review)

95 points - "Offers Yarra Valley elegance with an impressive complexity of fruit married to some stylish toasty oak. Immediately engaging, and there’s a strong temptation to open a bottle sooner rather than later. Nectarine, peach, grapefruit, lemon butter, nougat, shortbread, buttered toast, spice, some hazelnut, too, are beautifully worked together. This is svelte, sophisticated, with warm texture and fresh acidity. Yes, the structure allows for more ageing. Can you wait?" – Jeni Port (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - "White peach, almond cream, light spiced oak, vanilla and white flower perfume, barely a whisper of struck match. White stone fruit, grapefruit, nougat, of note is the feel of the wine, firm and chalky, almost chewy in texture, white strawberries, with a bright and grainy finish of excellent length. Stylish. Classic cool Yarra from a warmer vintage." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
Based on 3 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 2 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
3 reviews
  • RA
    Rob A.
    Verified Buyer
    5 months ago
    Reviewing
    2023 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    A beautiful chardonnay

    Simply delicious! Great with grilled snapper served with chimichurri.

  • SD
    Sharon D.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    3 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2022 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    So good 😊

    Citrus intensity morphs into velvet loveliness.

  • R
    Rosa
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    5 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    Reviewing
    2022 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Powerful Beechworth Chardonnay

    Lots of citrus and underripe stone fruit, flecks of mineral character, plenty of texture and acid. Oak lends subtle smokiness more than richness and the overall vibe is fresh. I’m very much a Chardonnay drinker and this is a consistent favourite.

A poised and elegant Yarra Valley Chardonnay, opening with spiced white nectarine, peach and grapefruit layered over nougat, hazelnut and finely judged toasty oak. Svelte yet tightly coiled, the palate balances silky texture with fresh, nervy acidity. Citrus and white stone fruit carry through to a saline, spice-tinged finish — engaging now, with the structure to reward time in bottle.

A section of Willow Lake Vineyard’s Parkinson’s 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 sulfured to preserve freshness and acidity and rested on its lees for 12 months. The wine was transferred to tank for a further three months prior to bottling.

2024 Harvest Date: 22nd March
Bottled: 6th June 2025

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Yarra Valley
Australian State VIC
Reviewed By The Real Review
Halliday Wine Companion
The Wine Front
Critic Score 95
Alcohol 13%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

A. Rodda

Adrian's Beechworth-based winery is essentially a one-man operation with some help from acclaimed viticulturist, Mark Walpole.

What started as a hobby has ballooned into a full-time obsession and he has garnered some huge praise for his classic yet energetic wines.

With a wealth of experience gained under the top-notch tutelage of Yarra Valley superstar winemaker, Dave Bicknell, Adrian is one of the true stars of North East Victorian Wine.

Chardonnay (of course) is his main focus, showcasing a regional series from Beechworth, the Yarra Valley & the Whitlands but he also tackles Cabernet blends & Tempranillo with aplomb.

Winemaker Adrian Rodda A. Rodda

Others also liked

Recently viewed

Common Questions

Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more.

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.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

No sorry we do not have a store front and pickup is not available.

Yes, no problem. When placing your order select ‘Store at Different Drop and Delivery Later’ as your shipping method or reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order with additional instructions.

We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.

To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you. 

If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.

 

Our warehouse is automated so unless you tell us otherwise, we will ship your order. If you would like us to hold your order please reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order and we are happy to store your order for up to 6 months at no charge. You can review our heat policy here.

Yes, of course. We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. You can see our price match policy here.

No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.

No, all prices are set at the full discounted dozen rate already.

If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.

Regular Enquiries

Urgent Enquiries

02 8376 8775