Campbell Mattinson 96 points!
Campbell Mattinson 96 points!"This is every bit in the Bannockburn pinot noir mould, three quarts complexity to one quart fruit power, though the complex chords of flavour strumming through the finish are anything but ordinary. It feels churlish to list them, so suffice to say it tastes of herbs wrapped in earth, berries wrapped in leaves, the wine's acidity carrying the information of undergrowth and no doubt more. This is herbal, earthen, stemmy stuff, compellingly so. Charisma, you could call it. It certainly engages you in quite a conversation."
The Wine Front, 2014
After JH's "reminiscent of a young DRC" comment, it would be stating the obvious to venture that the 2012 is a big step up on this vineyard's previous two releases. Hiss note is a wonderful endorsement for this young, close-planted site, and Bannockburn's vineyard management, not to mention the grower who had the foresight to plant it. The planting density of 10,000 vines per hectare results in a naturally low yield of just 500g per vine (or less). So, the first secret to the quality of this wine is the yield per vine (the second is yield per vine, and the third is yield per vine). We should point out that 2012 is no freak wine; the '13 is equally impressive. Élevage took place in one-third new 300-litre Hogsheads for almost 20 months.
De La Terre is a beautiful, gently sloping, dry grown vineyard planted to 10,000 vines per hectare. It lies right beside the 30-year-old Serre vineyard (although DLT sits on the slope whereas Serre is on a little plateau above it). In spite of its proximity to the Serre site, the wine, by Michael Glover's own estimation, presents a very different personality. Although the vines are young, Glover has now worked with five vintages and believes that De La Terre will offer an inkier, wilder, spicier and more masculine expression than Serre. This may be due to the slope on which the majority of the vineyard is planted. It could also be due to the clone selection (777) or it could be the north-south row orientation rather than the east-west of Serre.
Bannockburn
Country:
Australia
Region:
VIC- Geelong
Variety:
Wine Red - Pinot noir
Size:
750mL
