2023 Bannockburn Chardonnay

Highly Rated
Class act Geelong Chardonnay from one of the region's great wine estates. Powerful and polished.
4.5
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
2 Reviews

Price:
Sale price$59.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Bannockburn Chardonnay is one of the benchmark white wines of the Geelong region.

It's made from dry-grown fruit off the Bannockburn vineyard, it's whole bunch pressed and wild yeasts, and then aged for 18 months on its lees in a combination of stainless steel, older oak and just a small portion of new oak. This extended time on lees and in barrel adds so much texture and complexity to what is beautifully pure fruit.

It's just gorgeous - aromatic, powerful, structured and balanced. A wonderful wine for a special occasion, and great either now or with a few years under its belt.

96 points
"The nose is mineral-driven with an underlying power, giving notes of fresh lemon rind, lime curd and shortbread. The palate is medium-bodied with a generous mouthfeel and striking acidity, giving notes of grapefruit pith, phosphorus, orange blossoms and puff pastry. A wonderfully fresh and balanced chardonnay that will age for years to come. Drink or hold. Screw cap."
- JamesSuckling.com

95 points
"This has opened up since last tasted, a very refined, tensioned, intense and subtle chardonnay with vitality and energy, powered by bright acidity, its oak nigh invisible. There is subtle complexity, aromas of cream filled pastries, waxy and yeast-leesy, the palate arrow-like with its focused, piercing flavour and acidity. More Chablis-like than expected from this vineyard, and very smart."
- Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

94+ points
"There’s ample flavour and texture here but the length of this wine is wow. It tastes of grilled peaches, green pineapple, straw, herbs and cedarwood. There’s real flavour here, and a creaminess to the texture, but there’s a real cut to the wine as well. It arguably needs a bit of time to soften. It thrusts its way through the finish, drawing flavour along with it. In 15 year’s time people will be pulling well-cleared bottles of this out and marvelling at how youthful it seems."
- Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

96 points - "The nose is mineral-driven with an underlying power, giving notes of fresh lemon rind, lime curd and shortbread. The palate is medium-bodied with a generous mouthfeel and striking acidity, giving notes of grapefruit pith, phosphorus, orange blossoms and puff pastry. A wonderfully fresh and balanced chardonnay that will age for years to come. Drink or hold. Screw cap." - JamesSuckling.com

95 points - "This has opened up since last tasted, a very refined, tensioned, intense and subtle chardonnay with vitality and energy, powered by bright acidity, its oak nigh invisible. There is subtle complexity, aromas of cream filled pastries, waxy and yeast-leesy, the palate arrow-like with its focused, piercing flavour and acidity. More Chablis-like than expected from this vineyard, and very smart. 27 JUN 2024" - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

94+ points - "There’s ample flavour and texture here but the length of this wine is wow. It tastes of grilled peaches, green pineapple, straw, herbs and cedarwood. There’s real flavour here, and a creaminess to the texture, but there’s a real cut to the wine as well. It arguably needs a bit of time to soften. It thrusts its way through the finish, drawing flavour along with it. In 15 year’s time people will be pulling well-cleared bottles of this out and marvelling at how youthful it seems." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

4.5
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
Based on 2 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 1 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
2 reviews
  • LV
    Luke V.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    1 year ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Bannockburn

    Complex chardonnay that probably needs 1-2 years before drinking. Very nice wne

  • BB
    Brian B.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    4 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Another superb vintage

    Deliciously nutty tones with a light touch of oak makes for a superb Chardonnay

Reviews LoadedReviews Added

Consistently rated as one of Australia’s best Chardonnay wines; our cool climate, old vines, limestone soils, and low yielding vines offer a wine of richness and power, full flavoured with purity and tension in balance.

Bannockburn Chardonnay is made from a blend of estate fruit grown on our established vineyards; the oldest vines planted in 1976, through to the most recent 2016 planting. This release includes fruit grown across Olive Tree Hill (1976), Winery Block (1981), Stuart Block (1997), Grigsby (2007) & Kelly Lane (2016) vineyards. The clonal mix includes P58, Bernard 76, 95 & 96, with various vine spacings and planting densities.

Handpicked parcels of fruit were whole bunch pressed, settled over night, and racked to barrels for a wild yeast fermentation in a combination of French hogsheads and puncheons; approximately 20% was new oak. Malolactic fermentation occurred on 70% of the blend, with the remainder blocked. The wine was left on lees unstirred for 10 months prior to blending and bottling.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Geelong
Australian State VIC
Feature Iconic
High Score
Reviewed By The Wine Front
The Real Review
James Suckling
Critic Score 94
95
96
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

Bannockburn

For decades, the Bannockburn vineyard has been producing Burgundian-inspired wines which truly reflect a unique patch of Australian terroir.

Originally planted by founder Stuart Hooper and the great Gary Farr in the early 1970s, the wines that come from this special vineyard in Geelong show a rare sense of place. The ancient riverbed soils that sit below the vines impart a distinct saline character for the whites and an awesome power in the reds which makes the wines from this place immediately identifiable.

Matt Holmes is the current winemaker, having taken over from Michael Glover after years as assistant winemaker. His wines have been receiving great critical acclaim during his tenure and this great Australian vineyard's legacy seems very safe in his capable hands.

Winemaker Matt Holmes - Geelong, VIC Bannockburn

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