The 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Awards has named Oakridge 864 Drive Block Funder & Diamond Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 as Australia’s Wine of the Year.

Paragon Wine Estates (part of Endeavour Group) acquired the Yarra Valley-based Oakridge Wines in 2021. Chief Winemaker David Bicknell has been at the helm of the winemaking team for 22 years.

David Bicknell has been crafting Oakridge wines since 2002, with the 2022 vintage of the 864 Funder & Diamond Drive Block Chardonnay representing the 11th iteration of this highly acclaimed single block wine.

“It’s the culmination of a generation’s work, involving a whole group of people,” he said. “And we’ve got a team of amazing depth and talent. It’s important to recognise senior Senior Viticulturist Steve Faulkner, Vineyard Operations Manager Georgina Jacobs as well as the whole viticultural team. The work they have put in is what gives us the ability in the winery to create something like this.”

The Funder & Diamond vineyard, known for its mature vines planted in the red volcanic soils of Wandin East, consistently produces exceptional fruit.

Bicknell described the low-yielding Drive Block as metronomic in what it does, regardless of the season. He considers the 2022 vintage to be of particularly high calibre, calling it one of the best of the past decade. Despite facing challenges throughout the growing season, and extremely low yields, the wines produced were of exceptional quality and fruit purity. Chardonnay was
a standout, with the later than average harvest producing wines of remarkable natural acidity.

“A wine like the 864 Chardonnay captures a moment in time, but it’s always about looking forward and how we can improve,” Bicknell said. “I believe our best wines are still ahead of us.”

The Oakridge chardonnay, which also won Chardonnay of the Year and White Wine of the Year, was the stand-out for the judges among the more than 7500 wines from more than 1100 wineries that they tasted for the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion book.

The 864 Funder & Diamond Drive Block Chardonnay will be released on 2 September as part of Oakridge’s annual 864 Vintage Release. Oakridge will be accepting expressions of interest for the winning wine 8 August. Link here.

Oakridge Wines was named 2023 Winery of the Year in The Real Review Top Wineries of Australia following a year-long tasting of more than 10,000 wines.

“Oakridge is now owned by Endeavour Drinks, the Woolworths spin-off which seems set to be a major player in wine production as well as sales,” the tasting team said.

“While some observers were cynical about this move, there has been no detectable change in wine quality or style.”

Endeavour Group CEO and Managing Director Steve Donohue said: “This is a special moment for the whole team at Oakridge, who have set the bar so high for winemaking and hospitality in such an iconic Australian wine region.

“Oakridge is the jewel in the Yarra Valley’s crown and we feel so incredibly lucky to be custodians of this incredible winery.

“Congratulations to David Bicknell and everyone at Oakridge on this well-deserved recognition.”

View the full list of winners in the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Awards here.

Chardonnay regains its crown as Australia’s top varietal

Chardonnay has overtaken Shiraz as the wine industry’s most popular variety according to Wine Australia’s National Vintage Report 2024. 

The Chardonnay crush increased by 31% to 333,000 tonnes, overtaking Shiraz to resume the title of largest wine variety by crush size that it last held in 2013. Shiraz decreased by 14% to 298,000 tonnes – its smallest crush since 2007.

The white winegrape share of the Australian crush has also increased to 51% – the first time since 2014 that it has been higher than the red crush.

The news follows an Adelaide Hills Chardonnay described by Australia’s best wine judges as ‘an explosion of flavour on the palate’ has taken out the top wine award at the 2024 National Wine Show of Australia.

Murdoch Hill’s 2022 Rocket Chardonnay was awarded the Prime Minister’s Trophy for Champion Wine of Show.

“The feedback from all 12 judges was just how much flavour this wine has,” said National Wine Show of Australia chair of judges Matt Harrop. “To get a chardonnay with such powerful and precise flavours is due to a combination of a great vineyard that’s perfectly tended, with sensibly grown grapes and sensitive winemaking. It’s a great, great wine.”