The Winefront reviews are in from Campbell Mattinson
May 26, 2025
It’s always a pleasure to read Campbell Mattinson’s thoughts on our wines. Over the years, he’s tasted many Bannockburn releases, across the different chapters of our story, and few writers bring the same depth of experience and insight.
Campbell has a real understanding of our style. He seems to instinctively connect with the savoury complexities that our vineyards offer, and his appreciation andexperience comes through in every review.
What makes his writing truly special is the way he brings the wines to life, his descriptors are evocative, poetic but also thirst inducing. We’re always grateful for his words. It’s one thing to make wines, another to capture its essence with language and Campbell does it beautifully.
All words and scores by Campbell Mattinson and published on www.winefront.com.au.
Chardonnay 2024
95 points. This is a hard yes. It’s both flavoursome and frisky, it’s long through the finish, it has texture but it keeps up the momentum. Stonefruit, flint, nashi pear, a umami note and flashes of nougat and cedar. Everything here is in alignment and in harmony. It’s another beautiful chardonnay from Bannockburn.
Pinot Noir 2024
94+ points. All the herbs and spices, of course, but the shells of nuts, woodsmoke, a chicory element and whispers of both black coffee and black tea, all of which swirl around sound, sure-footed cherry-berry fruit flavours. This wine is as complex as it is assured, its sinewy tannin finessed into place, its flavours cascading out through the finish. This will age beautifully, and is best consumed with at least another few years under its belt.
Gamay 2024
94 points. This is a spicy, nutty, bunchy gamay. It leans heavily towards the savoury side of things, it’s whole bunch influence clear. Cranberry, red cherry, game, assorted roasted nuts and all those smoked herbs. There’s a tension to this wine, and a fine-sinew aspect. It’s an excellent example of the high-savoury style.
Shiraz 2023
95 points. Admittedly I have a preference for this style of shiraz but this 2023 is a ripper release. It’s peppery. It shows its whole bunch influences in its twiggy herb and nut-like inflections, and in its stringy tannin, and perhaps in its smoky notes too. But the fruit still feels pure and red/black cherried, and those aforementioned black pepper notes ping both energetically, and deliciously, throughout. This year’s Bannockburn Shiraz has a bit of extra spark. It has excellent length, polish, fruit, mouthfeel and all those things. But it exudes that extra something, that star quality.
