2021 Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Geelong

Batches of pinot noir from different blocks, wild fermented with 20% whole bunches. Matured 10 months in French hogsheads (25% new). A wine of real gravitas and presence, the '21 reflects a most impressive year. Abundant, enticing aromas in pristine red fruits, maritime herbs, humus and dusty beets. The palate fairly bristles in fruit freshness and energy, the tannins pricking the tastebuds and laying the foundation for a long life. Oak? Yes, it's evident in the texture and the binding but totally integrated.

95 points Jeni Port winecompanion.com.au

As we have said before, under Matt Holmes, the style of Bannockburn Pinot Noir is now less extravagant than that of his predecessors. Today we see more purity and balance, more harmony in the glass derived in part from the benefits of organic viticulture and partly from decisions made in the winery: a more pragmatic use of whole bunches and an earlier bottling regime.

The 2021 Estate Pinot Noir was drawn from Bannockburn’s entire spectrum of vineyards (planted in 1976, 1997 and 2007), including fruit from the iconic, close-planted blocks. All the sites have volcanic loam and dark clay over a limestone base and are planted to a wide variety of clones, mainly MV6 with a smattering of the Dijon (or Bernard) clones 114, 115 and 777. This year, much of the fruit was destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeast, and just 20% whole bunches were used. Élevage played out for 10 months, primarily in Tronçais hogsheads, 25% of which were new.

 It’s an intense, deftly structured Pinot with a deep core of red fruits, lined with tension and purity. There’s a gorgeous aromatic finesse and succulence to the red berry fruit, itself nuanced by fragrant spice and a nip of cranberry crunch. Fine, stylish tannins guide the palate, while elegant acidity pulls the flavours into a long-lasting finish. It really deserves some time in bottle to unfold yet, even today, it’s a beauty—and perhaps the most poised and focused Bannockburn Estate Pinot we have tasted at this stage of development.