A. Rodda

2025 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay | Yarra Valley, VIC | 95 Points

Name: 2025 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay | Yarra Valley, VIC | 95 Points
Brand: A. Rodda
Price: 75.00 AUD
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$75.00 AUD

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🏆 95 Points | The Final A. Rodda Willow Lake Chardonnay – A Remarkable Piece of Yarra Valley Wine History!

95 Points – The Wine Front

Historic Vines Dating Back to 1979 | One of Australia's Great Chardonnay Specialists | The End of an Era!

2025 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay

Upper Yarra Valley, Victoria

RRP $75

What if I told you that one of Australia's finest Chardonnay specialists has just produced his final vintage from one of the Yarra Valley's most celebrated old-vine vineyards?

Well, that's exactly what we have here.

2025 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay.

And this is one seriously exciting wine!

95 POINTS – GARY WALSH, THE WINE FRONT!

But here's the really fascinating part.

This is the final Willowlake Chardonnay Adrian Rodda will make.

A wine that represents the conclusion of a remarkable chapter in his Chardonnay Project.

From an Upper Yarra vineyard with vines dating back to 1979.

Made by the man who helped develop the legendary Oakridge 864 Chardonnay.

And carrying an outstanding 95-point review from one of Australia's most respected wine critics.

This is exactly the sort of Chardonnay that gets me excited at Liquid Vibe!

Because great wine isn't just about flavour.

It's about the vineyard.

The people.

The history.

And the stories behind every bottle.

And this one has an extraordinary story to tell.

Adrian Rodda – One of Australia's Great Chardonnay Specialists

If you're serious about Australian Chardonnay, you really need to know about Adrian Rodda.

Before establishing his own label, Adrian spent more than a decade at Oakridge in the Yarra Valley, working alongside celebrated winemaker David Bicknell.

During that period, he helped develop the extraordinary Oakridge 864 Chardonnay.

A wine that would become one of the benchmarks for modern Australian Chardonnay.

What made those wines so compelling?

Beautiful fruit purity.

Remarkable natural acidity.

Subtle, beautifully integrated oak.

Savoury complexity.

And an extraordinary ability to express individual vineyards.

In 2010, Adrian moved to Beechworth and began making Chardonnay from the historic Smiths Vineyard.

But he wasn't content to explore just one vineyard.

He wanted to understand how Chardonnay could express itself across different Victorian regions.

And so began his Chardonnay Project.

Three extraordinary vineyard sites.

Smiths Vineyard – Beechworth.

Baxendale Vineyard – Whitlands, King Valley.

Willow Lake Vineyard – Upper Yarra Valley.

Different soils.

Different climates.

Different elevations.

But a broadly consistent winemaking philosophy.

The idea was to allow each vineyard to reveal its own distinctive character.

And the results have been absolutely fascinating.

Willow Lake Vineyard – One of the Upper Yarra's Historic Chardonnay Sites

The Willow Lake Vineyard is located at Gladysdale in the Upper Yarra Valley.

And here's something many wine lovers wouldn't know.

Parts of this remarkable vineyard were planted as early as 1979.

That's nearly half a century of Chardonnay history.

The vineyard sits in one of the cooler parts of the Yarra Valley, where the surrounding hills, forests and elevation help create excellent conditions for premium Chardonnay.

The historic Parkinsons Road block, from which Adrian has sourced fruit, has a distinctive southerly aspect.

And that matters.

A south-facing slope in the Southern Hemisphere generally receives less direct sunlight than a north-facing slope.

That can help slow ripening and preserve natural acidity.

Exactly what you want when you're trying to produce Chardonnay with beautiful concentration, freshness and mineral precision.

The soils include brown gradational material over clay.

It's a fascinating combination of old vines, cool growing conditions and a distinctive vineyard site.

And it's precisely why the finest Upper Yarra Chardonnays can be so extraordinary.

The Final Vintage – Why the 2025 Is So Special

Here's the detail that makes this wine particularly collectible.

In his review of the 2025 vintage, Gary Walsh identifies it as Adrian Rodda's final Willowlake Chardonnay.

That means this is not simply another release in an established series.

It's the final chapter.

For years, Adrian has used Willow Lake to demonstrate the distinctive elegance and mineral tension of Upper Yarra Chardonnay.

Now that chapter is coming to an end.

And for Chardonnay lovers who have followed his wines, that's significant.

Great vineyards can continue producing fruit for generations.

But a particular winemaker's interpretation of a vineyard is something unique.

Once that relationship ends, the wines become part of history.

That's why I think this is a particularly exciting Chardonnay to have in the cellar.

Tasting Profile – White Peach, Grapefruit and Beautiful Mineral Tension

The hallmark of Adrian Rodda's Willow Lake Chardonnay has always been its wonderful balance between fruit concentration and cool-climate freshness.

This is a style built around purity, texture and precision.

Expect a beautifully detailed combination of:

White peach and nectarine
Fresh grapefruit
Lemon zest
Citrus blossom
Toasted almond
Fine savoury spice
Subtle flinty complexity
Creamy lees texture
Chalky mineral grip
Saline freshness

The palate is where the wine's pedigree becomes particularly apparent.

There's lovely stone fruit concentration, but the fruit never overwhelms the wine.

Instead, everything is carried by fine natural acidity.

The texture is polished and beautifully integrated.

Subtle oak and savoury complexity provide depth.

And the finish has that wonderful combination of citrus freshness, chalky grip and persistence that makes great Upper Yarra Chardonnay so compelling.

White peach. Grapefruit. Toasted almond. Flint. Chalky minerality. Beautiful natural acidity.

A Chardonnay for people who appreciate elegance as much as power.

Why the Upper Yarra Valley Is So Special

The Yarra Valley is one of Australia's greatest Chardonnay regions.

But not all parts of the Yarra Valley are alike.

The Upper Yarra is generally cooler than many of the lower-lying areas.

Higher elevation, surrounding forests and cooler growing conditions can produce Chardonnay with exceptional aromatic detail and natural acidity.

The finest wines combine:

Citrus purity.

White stone fruit.

Savoury complexity.

Fine texture.

Mineral precision.

And extraordinary length.

And that's what makes vineyards such as Willow Lake so important.

They demonstrate how dramatically Chardonnay can change depending on where it's grown.

The Chardonnay Project – Three Vineyards, Three Personalities

One of the things I love about Adrian Rodda is his determination to explore Chardonnay through different vineyards.

Consider his three celebrated sites.

Smiths Vineyard, Beechworth

A historic vineyard planted in 1978, producing Chardonnay with beautiful concentration, savoury complexity and mineral structure.

Baxendale Vineyard, Whitlands

An extraordinary high-altitude site at approximately 600 metres above sea level, producing Chardonnay with vibrant citrus freshness and alpine precision.

Willow Lake Vineyard, Upper Yarra Valley

A remarkable old-vine site producing Chardonnay with fine texture, elegant fruit and beautiful mineral tension.

Three vineyards.

Three distinct expressions.

And one winemaker with an extraordinary understanding of Chardonnay.

For serious wine lovers, tasting these wines side by side is a fascinating experience.

Winemaking – A Philosophy of Restraint

Adrian Rodda's approach to Chardonnay has always been about letting the vineyard express itself.

His established Willow Lake method involves carefully selected fruit, whole-bunch pressing and fermentation in French oak.

The aim is to build texture and complexity without sacrificing freshness.

Oak is used to support the fruit rather than dominate it.

Lees maturation helps develop mouthfeel and savoury detail.

And the preservation of natural acidity is central to the wine's style.

The result is Chardonnay that combines richness with remarkable precision.

This is not Chardonnay made to impress with excessive oak or weight.

It's Chardonnay made to reveal an extraordinary vineyard.

Cellaring Potential

The 2025 Willow Lake Chardonnay has excellent ageing potential.

Gary Walsh's recommended drinking window extends to 2034 and beyond.

I'd happily open a bottle now to appreciate its youthful freshness and energy.

But I'd also put some away.

With time, the citrus and white peach characters should develop deeper toasted nut, biscuit and savoury complexity.

And that wonderful Upper Yarra acidity should continue to provide freshness and definition.

Suggested drinking window: 2026–2034+.

Food Pairings

This is a magnificent food wine.

I'd recommend:

King George whiting
Fresh scallops with brown butter
Roast chicken with lemon and thyme
Grilled snapper
Southern rock lobster
Mushroom risotto
Roast pork
Comté or Gruyère

Personally, I'd love this with roast chicken, wild mushrooms and a beautiful cream sauce.

The wine's fine acidity would cut through the richness, while its savoury complexity would complement the food beautifully.

Why We Love It at Liquid Vibe

Because this is exactly what makes discovering great Australian Chardonnay so exciting.

A historic Upper Yarra vineyard.

Vines dating back to 1979.

One of Australia's most accomplished Chardonnay specialists.

A remarkable single-vineyard project.

An outstanding 95-point review.

And something that makes this release particularly special.

It's Adrian Rodda's final Willowlake Chardonnay.

Look at what you're getting.

2025 A. Rodda Willow Lake Vineyard Chardonnay

Upper Yarra Valley, Victoria

Historic Vineyard – Plantings Dating Back to 1979

Winemaker – Adrian Rodda

Former Oakridge Winemaker

One of Australia's Great Chardonnay Specialists

Final Willowlake Vintage for A. Rodda

95 Points – Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Drinking Window – 2026–2034+

RRP $75

This is serious Chardonnay.

A wine with history, personality, elegance and outstanding ageing potential.

And for anyone who has followed Adrian Rodda's remarkable Chardonnay Project, this final Willow Lake release is something genuinely special.