The Wine Front reviews are in for the new 1314 wines
Jan 17, 2025
Campbell Mattinson's reviews on the new 1314 range have all been published at The Wine Front (winefront.com.au) and they make for very evocative and descriptive reading. Thanks CM! Thirst inducing indeed...
Bannockburn 1314 Chardonnay 2024
93 points. This is right in the groove. It’s a definite ‘yes’ if it’s within reach. It brings more flavour than you might expect, but then Bannockburn chardonnay is rarely if ever shy. It tastes of white peach and nectarine, roasted nuts, citrus and honeysuckle. It’s not overly complicated but it’s not simple either. There’s a note of lemonade to their aftertaste, and a pastry-like note too. It’s very good. It feels unforced and yet it’s full of flavour.
Bannockburn 1314 Rosé 2024
93 points. Made using estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Riesling and Merlot. Dust and leaf notes ripple through blackcurrant bud, citrus, jubey raspberry and sweet spice. It’s a dry rosé with lots of spice and leaf notes but with a good core of juicy fruit too. Colour-wise it sits just on the pale or orange side of crimson; it’s a fair indicator of the dry-but-flavoursome-style of the wine. There’s a meaty/bunchy/Campari-esque side to this; it’s not dominant but it’s there. This would be great with food.
Bannockburn 1314 Pinot Noir 2024
90 points. There’s plenty of interest here but then, that’s always the case with the wines of Bannockburn. This is a twiggy, autumnal Pinot Noir with spice, earth, ash, snapped twig and cola characters running through pure, sweet red cherry fruit flavour. It’s light-ish but there’s enough to satisfy, and the drinkability factor is high enough for me to polish off a bottle solo over the course of two nights. It’s a wine that isn’t too taxing, but still has plenty going on.
Bannockburn 1314 Shiraz 2024
93 points. This is perfectly pitched for the Bannockburn shiraz drinker. Or indeed for the cool climate shiraz drinker in general. It’s sweet with fruit but laced liberally with twig, stalk, herb and undergrowth characters. It has a meaty, peppery edge too. It’s juicy up front but it pushes confidently through the finish, and all the way along the line it feels both pleasing and satisfying. We’re in very good territory here. Value? Wow, yes, absolutely.
