Summer Newsletter - 1314 Release

Greetings from Bannockburn,

As we move deeper into the 2026 growing season, the vineyards are in good shape and the year is beginning to reveal its personality. After a cooler spring, the recent stretch of warm, dry weather has been welcome, bringing energy and momentum into the vines. Like many, we’d gladly accept a decent rain or two, but overall the season is tracking well and we’re encouraged by what we’re seeing on the ground. We are now in the early stages of veraison and ripening is progressing steadily despite the warm weather of late, and vine balance looks good overall. At this stage, we are expecting to begin picking in early March.

We’ve been heartened by the response to our recent releases, with some generous and thoughtful press that we wanted to share. We are really proud of these wines and warmly encourage you to give them a go!

The 2025 1314 Pinot Noir was beautifully captured by Campbell Mattinson (Winefront), who wrote: “Such a pleasure. This is a lovely expression of Pinot Noir... 100% yes to this. This wine has Bannockburn written all over it.”

Our 2024 Winery Block Chardonnay was reviewed by Philip Rich (Wine Companion), noting its balance of texture and structure, offering 95+ points: “Engaging from the moment you stick your nose in the glass... simultaneously mouth-filling, textured and with enough backbone to ensure that this will continue to evolve...”

And Erin Larkin highlighted the elegance and detail of the 2024 Olive Tree Hill Pinot Noir with 95 points: “This is fine and lacy... so pretty... restrained and focused. This is very good.”

It’s always rewarding to see these wines resonate, particularly when the focus is on site, the detail that matters most to us. See the product pages for the full notes.

While fires in the region have not affected us directly, our thoughts are very much with those who have been impacted. We extend our sincere condolences and best wishes to friends, neighbours and communities dealing with loss and disruption during what has been a very difficult time.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We’re enjoying watching this season unfold and look forward to sharing more as Vintage 2026 progresses.

Cheers,
The team at Bannockburn Vineyards