2021 Bannockburn Vineyards 1314 A.D. Pinot Noir - Bannockburn, Victoria
Regular price $32.00/
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This was sourced from the whole gamut of Bannockburn’s Pinot blocks, planted in 1976, 1997 and 2007. Not insignificantly, the blend this year includes a healthy slug from the estate’s iconic close-planted vineyards (yields were so low in 2021 that no single-vineyard Pinot Noirs were bottled). The fruit was mostly destemmed and includes a measure of whole-bunch as well as a carbonic element. It was fermented wild and raised with 20% new oak (made from France's prized—and reliably expensive—Tronçais oak).
Simply, this is a blindingly good release. It’s stylistically true, with a parade of aromas and flavours immediately recognizable to all Bannockburn Pinot fans—think earth, undergrowth and bright, crunchy fruits. There’s a lovely, giving structure too. If the aim was to make a take-no-prisoners, immediately delicious Bannockburn Pinot, with an interest rate that is sky-high, then Matt Holmes has achieved full marks. And, perhaps we should not be surprised given the grade of fruit found in the bottle.
Simply, this is a blindingly good release. It’s stylistically true, with a parade of aromas and flavours immediately recognizable to all Bannockburn Pinot fans—think earth, undergrowth and bright, crunchy fruits. There’s a lovely, giving structure too. If the aim was to make a take-no-prisoners, immediately delicious Bannockburn Pinot, with an interest rate that is sky-high, then Matt Holmes has achieved full marks. And, perhaps we should not be surprised given the grade of fruit found in the bottle.