Hoddles Creek - Pinot Noir - 2024

I asked Franco if he used more or different oak for this 2024, and he tells me it’s the same as usual. Only 16% new oak. This weighs in at 14.5% alcohol. Just joking, of course it’s 13.2%. Red fruit, cherry, a little earthy, with some cinnamon oak showing, and sarsaparilla. It’s a more fruity and bouncy expression of Hoddles Pinot, some grainy chew to tannin, a + bit of sap and orange rind, something of a ferrous edge, with a stiff tannic finish of good length. Needs a bit of time to come around. It’s maybe a little more robust and fruity than is usual for this wine, though it’s still good. 92+ Points Gary Walsh, The Wine Front