The Bannockburn Chardonnay comes from Bannockburn’s ‘Olive Tree’, ‘Winery’ and ‘Stuart’ vineyards with the average age of vines sitting around the 35-year-old mark. The fruit was whole berry pressed – without settling out the solid material – and wild fermented in 500L French oak puncheons (20% new). There followed 18 months on lees, full malo-lactic fermentation, minimal stirring and no sulphur prior to a small addition before bottling.
Cool and windy conditions at flowering reduced yields to 0.9 tonnes/acre resulting in is a truly intense yet beautifully classy with just 12.5% alc/vol natural alcohol. The nose suggests all kinds of cool stone fruits, citrus peel, lime leaf and iodine, while the palate is ultra fine and satin smooth with a long creamy, lees-influenced finished. Bright natural acidity gives the wine lightness in the mouth despite its concentration.
94 Points, Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front, Dec 2016 “Straw coloured, as is this wine’s custom. It suggests at richness and more or less is, though there are plenty of flinty funk and meal-like characters; it’s complex and textural more than it is rich. There’s a zing of nectarine, perhaps some lime, a touch of sweet, creamy cedarwood and a pure serve of steely white peach. It feels good, it tastes good, and it lingers quite gorgeously.”
Bannockburn Chardonnay is Pale, straw colour with insinuations of green. Overt, ripe varietal fruit characters on the nose – pineapple, citrus and nectarine derived are from the warm vintage conditions.
Mineral characters, orange blossom and almond meal along with some lees derived creaminess are all balanced within this multi-dimensional palate.
TOP 100 WINES / 97 POINTS – JAMES HALLIDAY
Winemaker Michael Glover describes the post-drought 2011 vintage as a “clockwork season” for Bannockburn. There’s certainly a brightness and elegance to this highly complex Chardonnay that’s attracted plenty of interest of late after being included in James Halliday’s Top 100 Wines of 2012.
Sealed under screwcap for the first time, we’re delighted to offer very limited stocks of this stunning Bannockburn Chardonnay.
“97 Points. Whole bunch pressed direct to a mix of French barriques, puncheons and stainless steel, wild yeast fermented and left on lees for two years. A wonderfully textured wine, powerful and rich, but so seamless there is no semblance of weight, stone fruit oak and acidity perfectly balanced.” – James Halliday, Top 100 Wine.
“94 Points. The wine itself is a stunner. Classic Bannockburn chardonnay. It’s made from a range of estate vineyards, the average vine age around the 30 year mark. Matchsticks, nectarine, citrus and stones. Simultaneously textural, funky and pure. Has a life to it, this wine. Immensely pleasurable chardonnay. Alcohol: 13% Price: $52″ – Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.
Bannockburn Vineyards was established by Stuart Hooper in 1974. His vision was to create a vineyard which would produce Australian wine of a quality to emulate the great wines of France, in particular the great Burgundies. Stuart Hooper had a purist, uncompromising approach to quality grape growing and winemaking. He had a strong belief in making wines which genuinely reflect the flavours of the vineyard.
Although Stuart has since passed away, Bannockburn Vineyards remains in the Hooper family and his philosophy remains as the cornerstone behind all we do at Bannockburn today.
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