I’m seriously pretty convinced that A. Rodda ‘Baxendale’ Chardonnay is at the pointy end of some of the best. This little battler is a quiet achiever on a wine list and still undiscovered. Grown in high-country Victoria in the King Valley, this thing is pure high-country electricity – pale, tight, and quietly confident.
On the nose you get white peach, citrus peel, and a sense of minerality that feels like licking a very expensive rock. I tried to approach this bottle like a critic… but immediately remembered why I’m writing this at all – it’s just so fantastic. Especially great value for something so therapeutic, like a deep breath you can drink. If you suspect Christmas might require a few of those, buy more than one bottle.
The palate snaps into gear with lemon pith, crunchy pear and that cool-climate acidity sharp enough to slice through to file a restraining order against my enamel. There’s texture, sure, but it’s the kind of sleek, minimalistic texture that feels curated rather than crafted.
It’s modern chardonnay at its cleanest and most self-assured, the sort of wine you pour into your only two crystal wine glasses and pretend to sip slowly. Honestly, if more people knew about it, it wouldn’t stay on a shelf long enough. Drink it chilled, drink it often, and drink it before someone cooler than you starts recommending it first.
