Chardonnay 2025

Bannockburn Chardonnay is made from a blend of estate fruit grown on our established vineyards; the oldest vines planted in 1976, through to the most recent 2016 planting. This release includes fruit grown across Olive Tree Hill (1976), Winery Block (1981), Stuart Block (1997), Grigsby (2007) & Kelly Lane (2016) vineyards. The clonal mix includes P58, Bernard 76, 95 & 96, with various vine spacings and planting densities.

Handpicked parcels of fruit were whole bunch pressed, settled over night, and racked to barrels for a wild yeast fermentation in a combination of French hogsheads and puncheons; approximately 25% was new oak. Malolactic fermentation occurred on 70% of the blend. The wine was left on lees unstirred for 10 months prior to blending and bottling.

Cedar and dried hay give way to white peach and nectarine, pithy citrus and a subtle nougat note, with hints of cashew, oatmeal and pie crust in the background. The palate is fresh yet concentrated, layered with a gentle creaminess and lemon curd notes carried by fine acidity. It moves steadily through the mid-palate, finishing long and composed with a saline edge.

96 points. There are yellow stone fruits characters here, and an array of sweet spice notes, but it’s the flesh, the rush and the juice of grapefruit and ripe pear flavours that both dominate and seduce. This wine really does make you dive quickly in for more. There’s a subtle smokiness, some tonic and mineral-like notes, and an especially noticeable (extra) linger to the finish. This is one of those wines where the acidity itself feels flushed with flavour. The aftertaste then adds some pebble-stone characters, just because it can. What a wine. Campbell Mattinson, winefront.com.au.