2024 Bicknell FC Applecross Pinot Noir
2024 Bicknell FC Applecross Pinot Noir

2024 Bicknell FC Applecross Pinot Noir

96 pts
Bicknell FC |Yarra Valley |Pinot Noir
A stunning debut from the historic St Andrews vineyard made in a vibrant style that is effortlessly drinkable.
5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
1 Review
Price:
$65.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

The Applecross FC label has always been about finding the right expression, but the 2024 release marks a significant shift to a new home at St Andrews. Dave Bicknell and Nicky Harris have secured fruit from what was formerly the Lance family vineyard, a site rich with massal selection plantings dating back to 1976 and 1998. It is a patch of dirt with serious pedigree, and this debut release from the site captures exactly why they made the move.

The winemaking remains true to the Bicknell FC ethos - keep it simple and honest. Hand-picked on the first of March, the fruit saw about 20% whole bunches in the ferment to heighten the aromatics. It was pressed off to a mix of older wood - puncheons, hogsheads and barriques - where it sat for 11 months on fine lees. No heavy oak, no tricks, just pure fruit expression.

It is a wine that feels comfortable in its own skin. The nose is fragrant and lifted, full of red cherries, alpine flowers and a little savoury spice. On the palate, it has that classic ‘al dente’ tannin structure - firm but fine - supported by a burst of bright acidity. It is polished yet approachable, a great drink now that will only get better with a bit of time in the cellar.

Erin Larkin

Erin Larkin

The Wine Advocate 95 Points

The 2024 Applecross Pinot Noir is from a massal selection of clonal material planted between 1976 and 1998 at St. Andrews in the Yarra Valley. It was fermented with whole berries/whole bunches, and the élevage was in French oak barrels. This wine, a few months ahead of its market release currently, is so bright and perfumed. Rose, pistachio, graphite/petrichor, dry spice and tapenade coalesce on the palate in a rush. Pure, tightly wound and eminently focused, this is a gorgeous wine. The whole-bunch character rides high in the wine, but far from finding it distracting, I find myself attracted to it. This is super good and comes warmly recommended. 13.4% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Philip Rich

Philip Rich

Halliday Wine Companion 96 Points

From the old Lance's vineyard, planted from 1976–1998 (with a selection massale from Mount Mary) and in 2003. 80% whole berry and 20% whole bunch. Bright crimson. Perfumed with wild strawberries, first of the summer cherries, subtle rose bush and spice. The more you swirl the glass, the more fragrant it becomes. On the palate, there is a tender plushness, making it feel quite different to the previous Bicknell FC pinots from the Upper Yarra. Fine tannins and bright acidity round out a beautifully crafted and graceful wine.

Campbell Mattinson

Campbell Mattinson

The Wine Front 95 Points

There’s a growl to this Pinot Noir. It’s complex, and tannic, and deep and a touch surly, though it finishes full of running. Violets soaked in the juice of black cherries, sprigs of saltbush dragged through, cedarwood, smoked meats, gravel, twiggy herb notes and dark forest floor characters. It’s tannic but not at the expense of the general flow, though it’s a close-run thing. It needs a bit of time. And it’s excellent.

Customer Reviews

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Based on 1 review
Total 5 star reviews: 1 Total 4 star reviews: 0 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
1 review
  • AW
    Adam W.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    5 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2021 Bicknell FC Applecross Pinot Noir
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Textbook Pinot

    Loved the fragrance and how silken and seductive this was!

    Was this helpful?

A blend from three blocks - 41% from the 1976 Mv6 block (2.8 t/Ha), 35% from the 1998 Mv6 block (2.4 t/Ha) and 24% from the 2003 block of c777 (3.4 t/Ha). Hand picked on the 1st of March and sorted with 20% whole bunches added to 80% whole berries for fermentation. After two weeks fermenting on skins it was pressed to a mixture of 500 Lt puncheons, 300L Lt hogsheads and 225 Lt barriques where it completed malo and rested on fine lees for 11 months prior to blending and bottling in late February 2025. 174 dozen bottles and 30 magnums made.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Light Bodied
Variety Pinot Noir
Country Australia
Region Yarra Valley
Australian State VIC
Feature High Score
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 96
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

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