Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.

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Bannockburn

The New 1314 Releases…
Bannockburn

A great year for Bannockburn naturally means a great year for 1314. “I’m more excited about this vintage than any in recent memory,” says Gus Pollard. And that goes for the 1314 wines as much as it does for the Estate wines currently resting in the cellar. “Even in these early bottling releases they carry a real sense of energy, with the generosity of a warmer season sitting alongside impressive purity.”

 

It’s worth remembering that everything here is Estate-grown, with old-vine material (planted during the mid-1970s) playing a significant role across the board. Matt Holmes brings the same winemaking care to this selection as he does to the Estate and single-block wines. The 1314 range comprises barrel selections based on suitability for earlier bottling and release, with a focus on immediate appeal, freshness and drinkability. Something each wine delivers with bells on.   

The Wines

Bannockburn 1314 Chardonnay 2025

Bannockburn 1314 Chardonnay 2025

Fruit for the 1314 Chardonnay is sourced from several blocks across Bannockburn’s organically farmed Estate, including a healthy dose from the pedigreed 1976 plantings. This is a barrel selection of the Estate’s 2025 crop, so the cellar practice is as it was for the Estate wines. The fruit was pressed as bunches to hogsheads (10% new) for fermentation. As is always the case, the oak is faultlessly integrated, and 85% of the wine underwent full malolactic conversion, followed by seven months of maturation on lees with no stirring. Only marginally less intense than the Estate bottling, this is an accomplished Chardonnay imbued with fleshy stony-citrus flavours, ocean-spray freshness and long, satiny length. The outstanding 2025 vintage has elevated this wine to another level. 

“The core of fruit flavour here is just simply delicious. In fact this wine pretty much rates as a ‘wow’ for deliciousness. It tastes of hay and yellow stonefruit, popcorn and pears, with a fully-integrated lacing of cedarwood oak. It’s a wine of excellent fruit intensity and also of out-and-out succulence. Yes please. Love this.”
93 points, Cambell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Bannockburn 1314 Chardonnay 2025
Bannockburn 1314 Pinot Noir 2025

Bannockburn 1314 Pinot Noir 2025

From the gamut of the Estate’s organically farmed Pinot Noir blocks planted in 1976, 1997 and 2004 to MV6, 114 and 115 clones, 1314 is a bona fide mini–Bannockburn Pinot. As always, this wine saw a healthy slug of fruit from the iconic close-planted blocks and comprises a selection of barrels chosen for their freshness and early drinking appeal. The fruit fermented with 15% bunches, and the wine matured in hogsheads (15% new) for seven months. Even by Bannockburn’s standards, this is pretty damn good. It’s spicy, subtly earthy and floral, very much an expression of Bannockburn, with succulent raspberry and berry fruit and wonderfully slinky tannins. At this price, it’s a rare achievement to deliver a Pinot Noir this accomplished and rooted to place. Then again, this is Bannockburn.

“Such a pleasure. This is a lovely expression of Pinot Noir. It’s earthen and undergrowth-y and cherried and spicy, with squeaky/grapey tannin and a keen juiciness through the finish. 100% yes to this. This wine has Bannockburn written all over it.”
93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Bannockburn 1314 Pinot Noir 2025
Bannockburn 1314 Shiraz 2025

Bannockburn 1314 Shiraz 2025

Shiraz has made a couple of cameos in Bannockburn’s 1314 range over the years, but from the 2024, its place is now locked on. As with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, vine age plays a significant role in the quality here, especially considering the price. The fruit hails from the both Bannockburn’s historic, 1974-planted Range vineyard as well as 1990 and 1996 vines on the Winery Block. Picked for brightness, the fruit was destemmed and fermented on skins for seven days before being pressed off to mostly old hogsheads (10% new) for nine months’ maturation. Bearing all the hallmarks of a great Shiraz vintage, it is vibrant and inky with ripe plums, dark cherries, and meaty notes trailed by hints of blood, violet and spice jostling out the glass. The palate is svelte and juicy with dark fruit and pepper spice framed by fine, dusky tannins. A touch of earthy minerality adds complexity to a wine that already overdelivers.

“Made from estate-grown fruit and matured in hogsheads (10% new). Just as good, if not better, than last year's impressive and very well-priced release. An impressive crimson purple colour. Aromas of dark fruits, freshly cracked black pepper, florals and spice all precede the richly flavoured, gently structured and very well-balanced palate. This is a wine that will look even better over the next four to six years.”
95 points, Philip Rich, The Wine Companion
Bannockburn 1314 Shiraz 2025

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