I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to taste the 2022 release of Bannockburn single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, including back vintages all the way to 1995. Very few Australian producers of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay could boast that far back and beyond, let alone have the confidence and humility to share them with a broad audience of trade professionals.
Within this timeframe, Bannockburn has had three winemakers – the legendary Garry Farr, Michael Glover and the current winemaker, Matt Holmes. Tasting back, it’s easy to spot the different approaches and the various fashions that prevailed over the time. International trends too, think the Burgundies of the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Wines such as these are simply not made anymore, or at the very least, have fallen out of favour with much of the Burgundy loving public. And so it was with Bannockburn. The evolution from rich, broad and oaky wines to the wilder, bunchier wines of Michael Glover to the streamlined grace courtesy of Matt Holmes. It is clear the current thinking at Bannockburn, and the results achieved over the last 5 years or so, have resulted in a golden age and the wines have never been better.
The S.R.H and Grigsby are two very different wines, but it is clear that the vineyards are exceptional. The S.R.H is without a doubt, one of the great Chardonnay vineyards of Australia, and I preferred them significantly to the Grigsby. Great wines embody a tension of opposites and my notes for the S.R.H read tension of line and curve, tension of classic and exotic fruit, tension of suppleness and extract, tension of salt and spice.
The Grigsby is a very different beast indeed with a soft supple palate and saline finish. It has a fuller, rounder shape and exotic and darker fruit profiles.
The improvements under Matt Holmes are nothing short of remarkable and unlike the chardonnay, where I have a clear preference, I don’t think there’s anything between them qualitatively.
The Serre is the more famous of the two and I think it was the 2017 vintage that James Halliday awarded 99 points and wine of the year comparing it to a young DRC. High praise indeed. At a push I would preference this to the De La Terre. We tasted four vintages back to 1995 and all were excellent and drinking well. It’s natural to prefer the younger wine, regardless of the vintage or winemaking, but there is no doubt that Matt Holmes has improved this wine every vintage, and I happen to think that we are yet to see its greatest wines. The Serre epitomises the haunting, brooding, sophisticated yet wild and animal aspect of pinot noir, and I loved that I found it difficult to grasp. It’s not so much a type or style, but a haunting collection of nuances, hints and feints.
Bannockburn S.R.H Chardonnay 2022
Beautiful, if slightly reticent aromatics to begin with. Tangy fruits of white peach, nectarine, grapefruit, kiwi, white bread, condensed milk, jasmine and subtle oak. Rich and tight, very coiled and rich, Incredible display of width and line, a real tension of opposites. Complex fruits, both exotic and classic. Citrus, stone fruits, kiwi, green mango and pawpaw. Salty, spicy, long. Some dry extract, perfectly counterbalanced by drenching acidity. Detailed and layered and at the beginning of a long, long, journey. Waters Wine Co
Bannockburn Grigsby Chardonnay 2022
If the S.R.H is tense and coiled, the Grigsby is much more open, rounder and softer. White bread, condensed milk, white cherry, Victoria plum, passionfruit, spring jasmine and gentle oak. Rich, supple and soft, with yellow peach, white peach, fresh apricot, yellow flowers, grapefruit, curry leaf and cumquat. If the S.R.H is Chassagne, the Grigsby is Puligny. Not an obvious wine to be sure, and will have broad interpretations from drinkers. Very singular, a great vineyard of chardonnay and unique. More to come. Waters Wine Co
One of the most stunningly aromatic pinots we’ve tried in a very long time. Drawing you in with star anise, sweet cherry, blackberry, cola, lavender wood, aniseed, sweet raspberry and cassis. Round and open, the aromatics quiet different to what’s found on the palate. Cured meats, mushroom, fresh compost, smoke and baking spices. Savoury tertiary notes, sweet fruits, gentle acid and sandpaper tannins. Very long and the balance of elements impeccable. Waters Wine Co
Bannockburn Serre Pinot Noir 2022
Star anise, sweet English summer fruits, Bresaola, lavender and damp leaf. Sweet and tangy fruits, picked at the perfect moment, serpentine, supple, brooding and haunting. Every sniff and sip reveals something different. Serrano, blood orange, chocolate, Middle Eastern spice and long silky tannins that tighten along the finish. Exquisite balance, the wine in constant motion. Fascinating to taste and even better to drink. Shall be one of the most long lived Serre, it’s structure hidden beneath and silken cloak. Waters Wine Co
