Bannockburn Serre Pinot Noir 2022

Star anise, sweet English summer fruits, Bresaola, lavender and damp leaf. Sweet and tangy fruits, picked at the perfect moment, serpentine, supple, brooding and haunting. Every sniff and sip reveals something different. Serrano, blood orange, chocolate, Middle Eastern spice and long silky tannins that tighten along the finish. Exquisite balance, the wine in constant motion. Fascinating to taste and even better to drink. Shall be one of the most long lived Serre, its structure hidden beneath a silken cloak. Waters Wine Co

“This release is a wonder to behold. It’s firm, svelte, powerful and complex, with terrific length and all-round conviction. It’s a wine with X-factor. It tastes of earth and macerated cherries, strawberries and woodsy spice, undergrowth and fresh beet. It captivates you at hello and makes you sorrowful at goodbye. This is Bannockburn at its best, its greatness bell clear.” 96 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

“A densely planted site, nigh on Burgundian density, underlain by limestone and a maritime tang. This is very good. A bunchy, woodsy campfire spice segues effortlessly to cherry amaro, damson, ume and the fiery waft of the souk. Barely mid-weighted of feel, so detailed and ethereal is it. Intense of flavor and incandescent of energy. Best after 2026. Screw cap.” 95 points, Ned Goodwin MW, jamessuckling.com

Certified organic. The 2022 marks a resounding return. This iconic vineyard is responsible for Bannockburn’s most memorable Pinot Noir. The 1.2 hectares of densely planted, low-yielding, own-rooted vines (9,000 per hectare) were planted exclusively to the MV6 clone in 1984 and 1986. The vines sit on the estate’s signature volcanic, basalt and limestone-rich soils. It is likely that this is Australia’s oldest plot of densely planted Pinot Noir—which goes some way to explaining the striking complexity and intense concentration of its wines.

In contrast to the De La Terre, the fruit for Serré was entirely destemmed before fermenting on skins for 10 days. The wine was pressed to hogsheads (33% new) and then left to mature on lees until February 2023. As with previous releases, this is a tightly packed wine layered with precision, fine detail and rumbling power. It will reward patience but will provide plenty of joy for those who cannot or will not, wait.